Hooked
by Silent Scribe
Summary: The story of Rin, her one love, and Sesshomaru's determination to make it otherwise. Final chapter: "Fin."
1. Fishbowl

_A/N: Because, as cute as it is, I don't necessarily think Rin has to wind up marrying Kohaku..._

**Fishbowl**

The worst of winter had ebbed weeks ago and the early spring sunshine that filtered through the trees put Rin a lazy mood as she lulled in the tall grass beneath a tree's full and gnarled branches. A blossom fluttered and skidded to a landing on her head right where a ponytail had once cropped. Reaching up, Rin tugged it from her dark bangs. She twirled the flower this way and that between her fingers for a moment, idly watching the yellow streaks of pollen blend in with the pink. On a whim, she reached for one of the petals.

_He loves me..._Rin frowned at the words. Time to get real. _He likes me..._ She plucked the petal, followed by another. _He likes me not..._

Another gusty sigh and she tossed the blossom to the ground. No use getting hopes up. Rin had played this little game with herself a million times over and, no matter how optimistic the prediction, the outcome was always the same. He loved her not. He didn't even like her not. She still plucked and she still blew on dandelions, but to no avail. What did flowers know of people?

_Or yokai. _

For the first time since she was a little girl, Rin realized that Lord Sesshomaru could be wrong, that you can't always predict how a human will grow and mature no matter how many plans you designed.

_And he was very wrong about Kohaku. _

A young man now, the demonslayer checked in once every season or so with his family and friends…and Sesshomaru. Rin hadn't been blind to the quiet friendship the two had built over the years. Now that she thought about it, Lord Sesshomaru must have seen Kohaku akin to a blade, something to be trained and honed. Knowing the daiyokai, once his mind set to a goal it would be so.

It had taken Rin a couple more years into young adolescence before she finally came to a conclusion. _Lord Sesshomaru probably hopes that I'll marry Kohaku._

And she hadn't minded…at first. The young demonslayer was broad-shouldered with an athletic build, and he still had that shy, boyish smile. For over a year, Rin entertained a crush on him, taking extra pains for make-up, perfume, and wiggling into kimono with five layers, fixing herself just right, whenever Kohaku was around.

_Except it never mattered._

On his visits home, Kohaku still greeted her…with the same cordiality he afforded everyone else. He shared little artifacts – demon scales, foreign spices and silks – with her…just like he did Sango and her children.

_I'm not special to Kohaku in any way. I'm just part of the village scenery._

She confided in Kagome – going to Sango just felt too awkward. What was Rin supposed to say? "Hey, I've got the hots for your little brother. Promise not to tell"? But now, for all their ill-fated attempts – especially the ginseng fiasco – even Kagome conceded that boys can be terribly clueless and sometimes you just have to wait it out.

Another year was a very long time to "wait it out," especially when Rin saw other girls her age already taking love-interests and some even getting married. Ultimately, she was left to sigh alone at what she considered the most telling prospect that her infatuation was going nowhere: _Why is it that whenever I want to spend some time with Kohaku alone he either says he's busy or insists on bringing someone else with us?_

He didn't want her. Rin bit down on her lip at the unsavory truth.

_But the sooner I come to terms with it, the sooner I can get over him._ She groaned, plucking the blossom from her hair. Yet why is it that life with Kohaku seemed so wonderful? To be the bride of a taijiya! It was truly the best of both worlds: human and demon. The adventure of new and exciting travels thrummed in her. A long time ago, when Rin had appealed to Sesshomaru to join him again in his travels the daiyokai had flatly refused.

_Refused? He all but ordered me to stay in the village. And here I thought Kaede said I would have a choice in the matter?_

But maybe that's why Sesshomaru had hinted at Kohaku in the first place.

_Someone he trusted and knew I'd like to share a real life with...But that's not going to happen._

Heaving a sigh for the umpteenth time that afternoon, Rin stretched back in the grass. Her last shred of hope for Kohaku had been ripped to pieces before her just last night when he returned.

And she still replayed the magnificent stories he shared with everyone around the hearth, but the strange girl at his side was the one who filled in all the details this time. And Kohaku's winsome smile was only for her.

_Not me. And I'm not going anywhere. Not with Kohaku or myself. I feel like a like a goldfish, still stuck in the same pond, swimming in circles and going nowhere. I'm ready to move on to a lake._

She would always call the village home, but…

_And where would I go?_

Anywhere.

_By myself? You never see females traveling alone._

Be different.

_How?_

Rin sighed, hopping to her feet and stretching to scrape the sky. It was afternoon now, she could go check the fishing snares and see if there was anything in them. It would give her an alibi if Kagome came looking for her. The priestess would worry for her, like always, and come looking for her…like always. This little village scene was getting redundant. The same people, same story...

_Swimming in circles for company. _

Tramping off to the nearest brook, Rin would at least have something to occupy herself.

_...With a bunch of netted fish. _

_._

_A/N: This fanfic references a "quiet friendship" between Kohaku and Sesshomaru. For more on that I recommend reading "Sensei" (self-promotion...heh, I'm shameless). Reviews always appreciated! _


	2. Catch of the Day

_A/N: Apologies to patient readers for the delay on chapter updates. Research papers are bane of my existence. On with the show!_

**Catch of the Day**

The open field provided a perfect view of the cerulean sky blotted with wispy puffs of white. It was "a cloud-watching day" as Rin would've said. But skyscape was wasted on the girl as she kept her eyes on the ground, counting the blossoms that lined the well-worn path out to the local brook. It was still early spring and the coming weeks would have fuller nets than this time of year.

_But it never hurts to check. _Skipping as she used to years ago, Rin distracted herself with a half-remembered tune:

"I make an innocent face as I give a mischievous kiss…I just can't say 'I love you'...hmm-my sweet—"

Suddenly the song was drowned out in the clamor of a violent thrashing from upstream. Squinting, Rin could make out a large blue and silver blur. _Wow! Maybe it's a really good one this time! _Fishing basket slung over one shoulder, she picked up her skirts and dashed over.

Rin's smile broke into an outright laugh when she saw exactly what was making all the commotion. A perfectly healthy young man was floundering in the netting.

"Help!" he gurgled, head going under just as he took a gasp and gulped down water. "Help! Get it _off!_" The more he struggled, the more entangled he became.

Still harboring a smile, Rin hustled over to the "victim's" side. "Hey, uh, excuse me?" she tried reaching him. Finally, all patience lost, she jerked the net. "HEY!"

The man froze…and fixed Rin with a pair of deep, midnight blue eyes, fettering _her _to the spot. _Um…wow…_

"Help!" he wailed and started thrashing again, splashing Rin in the process.

Regaining control of herself, the Sesshomaru's ward rolled up her sleeves and yanked on the stranger's arm, shouting to be heard above slapping waters and ruckus. "You can stand up, stupid!" For a full second, the man paused...until he sank and the caterwauling continued.

Growling as her instructions went unheeded, Rin pulled the cleaning knife from her side. _Someone back home is gonna hate me for this._ With quick precision, she sliced off the netted rope.

Arms windmilling, the odd stranger gasped as he scrambled to the bank, hugging it upon contact.

_Who the heck is this guy?_ Rin gave him a minute to catch his breath before repeating, more gently now, "You can stand up."

As if noticing her for the first time, the azure eyes locked on Rin with comprehension, processing the concept. "Oh," he managed, legs straightening. He breathed slowly, composing himself and Rin did the same. That gaze held the sea itself.

Finally, their shared silence was broken. "Thank you, good maiden," sighed the man, politely tipping his head. Seeing his face unobstructed now, Rin noticed that calling this guy 'a man' was stretching a point. He wasn't much of a boy any more, that much was clear with the way his jaw set and shoulders squared, but he was still…youthful. Easily an early twenty-something.

Then Rin saw the sharp-edged ears peek from his bangs. _All right, early two-hundred-something,_ she amended. "I'll take it you're not a water demon, are you?" she smirked.

"Huh!" the yokai returned haughtily. "What gives you that idea?" He hoisted himself ashore with both arms, unsuccessfully hiding a whimper when he backslid. "I-I just don't appreciate humans leaving their junk in our element. Oof!" He flopped beside Rin to kick spitefully at the net, then yelped when it wouldn't come off again.

Rin laughed, tossing the contraption aside and studied her 'catch' from the corner of her eye. Dark spots blotted sporadically on his face and forehead. Rin didn't think they were attractive, especially compared to Kohaku's freckles, but the markings didn't damper his smile. His hair was a solid steely-gray that shot out in long bangs that framed his angular face; an odd set sprang from his head, reminding Rin of the dorsal fins on fish. The rest of his hair was gathered in a ponytail that fanned out behind him, defying gravity. Rin wondered if those tresses were as soft as they looked rigid. And, water-logged as he was, the demon's clothes hung with the weight of silk. His short jacket hinted at perhaps a courtly station. "So what are you then?" she mused.

"Heh, well, I'm not from this side actually," he said sheepishly. "I'm an ocean-based demon, who got caught in the wrong waterway. I'm on a mission." He puffed out his chest self-importantly. "My name's Kichiruka."

"Kichiruka?"

"Yes, that's right." He beamed as if he liked hearing his name. "May I have the honor of knowing my rescuer's?"

"Rin," Rin piped, suddenly aware how plain her name sounded by comparison. Kichiruka did have some bouncy syllables. Rin shook her head to clear the thought. _Ugh, don't start..._

Hand on chin, Kichiruka tested his new acquaitance's name. "Rin, Rin, Rin, Rin, Rin, Riiiin, Rinnnn, Rin, Rin," he repeated in different variations until he sat there laughing with himself. "How funny!"

Rin wasn't assumed. _Tch, I've got few names for you, too._ Before she could reach for the netting, Kichiruka sobered. "My apologies, I've just never heard a human name before…I always wondered if they were much different than yokai."

"You've never encountered humans?" Rin asked, her annoyance cooled by curiosity.

"Only in passing." Kichiruka waved his hand dismissively. "The ocean is vast and I spend most of my time there." He spared a glance at the sun. "I must go, but first..." He leaned in to whisper in conspiratorial tones and his eyes glinted like dark sapphire. "I'd like to offer you a wish."

"A wish?" Rin parroted.

"Yes," Kichiruka chuckled. "For your kindness and that my future encounters with humans may prove as auspicious as this one."

One wish? Oh dear, where had she heard this one before…But her next thought was out before Rin could help herself. "For anything?"

"Eh…within reason…" Kichiruka hedged. "I'm kinda new at this."

"_You're_ the one granting my wish?"

The demon seemed to take some offense and thrust his hands into his soaked sleeves. "Well, how did you expect it to work?" he huffed.

Rin recoiled, she didn't necessarily want to insult him. Who knew? Maybe he was a master of curses. _Who gets caught in human netting?_ "I don't know…I thought there'd be more, ah, consulting of magic involved."

"Geez, do I look like the Shikon no Tama?"

"Well, I would never want to make you go out of your way…" Now Rin wasn't sure which way to argue. "Will you give me more time?"

"A human who has to think about her wish?" Kichiruka blinked in true astonishment. "You'd think they'd ask for wealth or immortality or whatever…"

Brown eyes grew wide. "_You_ can grant immortality?"

"Hey, like I said, I'm new at this. I'm just repeating what I've heard most people ask for."

Rin bit her lip. She never thought a wish would ever in a thousand years be offered to her. _Any wish! _She glanced at Kichiruka who sat glaring at the net. _Almost any wish!_ Excitement bubbled inside her and she wanted to blurt it out right now, but…_I don't know just what I want._

"Well?" the yokai prodded, looking impatiently at the sun. "You ready? Because I haven't got all day."

Now it was Rin's turn to flush with embarrassment. "Can I, uh, get back to you on it?"

"What?" Kichiruka was beside himself. Selfish, arrogant, greedy, wanton…why didn't this Rin match the descriptions he'd always heard about humans? "Okay, I'll give you three days, girl." He crossed his arms definitively. "I'll have returned this way in three days' time from my errand." Hopping on a stone protruding from the waters, blue eyes held hers steadily. "If you're not ready by then, all bets are off and I'll take my chances with kar—AWK!"

With a loud sploosh, Kichiruka slipped from his perch and splashed into the stream.

Rin didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. After all, this was the demon who would supposedly grant her wish. "On second, thought," Rin began, but when she glanced at the brook again the strange demon had already vanished.

_Guess I'll check the other snares. _Rin smiled to herself._ Maybe I've caught a more competent wish-giver._


	3. Casting A Line

**Casting a Line**

_One wish, three days. One wish, three days. Three days for one wish…_

Padding down the dirt road back home, Rin reflected over her options. If she wished for wealth, she could share it with everyone else in the village. _But then I would have to wish for everlasting wealth…and what would happen when I want to leave?_ She shuddered at the thought of living her entire life grounded, having only some childhood memories of the mysteries beyond the woods. Before she died last autumn, Lady Kaede had wished Rin "a full life," rich and promising and…happy.

_And I agreed I'd have one, but how do I do it? _

Rin considered it further. She could always wish for a longer life, for immortality even, and have enough time to seek her fulfillment. _But longevity? Eh, so what?_ Lord Sesshomaru had shown there were other ways to age and if being around that long meant she would lose her pleasure in the everyday events Rin didn't want any part of it. Eternal youth, interesting as it was, didn't seem that appealing when there was so much else to wish for!

_Like Kohaku…_

Shifting the fishing basket to her other hip, Rin's pace slowed to a pensive shuffle. It just didn't seem right to make someone love you. _I want Kohaku to love me willingly…_

"Hey there, Rin!"

_Kohaku?_ Rin started, nearly dropping her load. "Oh, hello…ah…" The young woman before her was just a year or two older, but had eyes that sparkled like a six-year-old waking up to sunrise. Her dark bangs and long ponytail curled inwardly, a style Kagome remarked as being like "a perm." Such a memorable style and face…and Rin was drawing a blank.

"Miyoko," the girl kindly supplied.

"Yeah, um, right," Rin faltered. "You're traveling with Kohaku."

A blush crept up Miyoko's throat and she smiled shyly. "Mm-hmm."

"Yes, I remember." _As if I could forget_, she thought sourly. _Maybe I could just wish to get rid of you…_Rin shook off the thought, appalled at her selfishness. Sort of.

"You need any help?" A pair of outstretched arms offered to take the basket off Rin's hands. "I could carry it the rest of the—"

"No," Rin interjected. "I've got it."

"Mm-k," Miyoko hummed, falling into step with Rin. "Mind if I tag along? I just got back from perusing what everyone here calls Inuyasha's Forest."

"Suit yourself." For once, Rin didn't feel like talking. But if Miyoko knew what the Silent Treatment meant, she gave no inclination. She comfortably matched Rin's strides and talked animatedly about everyone she'd met, regularly asking Rin to fill in the names. Then she moved on to Kohaku. How sweet he was, how protective, how sincere, how that one time when they were traveling he offered to carry her.

_Kohaku this, Kohaku that…as if she knew him!_ Rin fumed. Out of the corner of her eye, Rin studied her rival. She was taller, but not noticeably; Miyoko was still very much on the short end. Her jet-black hair was tied up in a colorful ribbon, but her clothes were plain and simple. She wore a solid green yukata that faded around the sleeves and her obi was a harmonious gold. Flowing and functional, her attire didn't draw attention or denote any special occupation like a demonslayer or priestess. She wondered if this girl even knew how to fight. Rin congratulated herself for at least learning the basics of swordmanship with Lady Sango, even if she harbored a slight suspicion that Lord Sesshomaru had encouraged this.

_What does Kohaku see in her? What does she have that I don't? _

A simple pendant around Miyoko's neck caught the sunlight and Rin followed it down to her nicely-endowed bust.

_Okay, so she's a little more…mature. But Kohaku's not a pig like that, is he? _

The chime of metal on metal interrupted Miyoko's monologue. "Good afternoon, ladies," Miroku called from a good distance, on his way out to a new exorcism appointment.

Rin sighed. _Then again, considering who Kohaku's brother-in-law is…_Between the lechory and the larceny, it was dubious at best if Master Miroku was a good influence for any developing youth. Rin wondered if Sango knew who was corrupting her little brother.

"Are you sure you don't need any help, Rin?" Again Miyoko held out her arms to take the basket. "I could take it the rest of the way to the smoking shack if you're too tired."

Rin straightened immediately. "Nope!" She tried to sound friendly, but her "I told you I've got it!" nearly came out as a shout.

"All right, then!" Miyoko's hands flew up defensively. "All yours!" Backing off, Miyoko still gave an easy smile. "I'll, uh, catch up with you later, then. See ya!"

Left alone, Rin regretted her ugly attitude. Bu still couldn't help glaring after the other girl's swinging backside. Before Rin could recall herself, the fishing basket was slipping from numbed fingers.

"Hey! Easy!"

Rin's arms sagged gratefully as the burden lightened.

"I got it!" Kohaku poked his head around from the other side.

"Hi, Kohaku," Rin chirped, finding a smile in spite of herself.

"Oh…Rin," he said, his own grin losing a few molars.

_What's up with that pause?_ Rin scowled at the taijiya's back as he completed the last leg to the smoking house. Automatically, she followed him. "Disappointed that I'm not Miyoko?"

"No." The reply was a little too hasty. Setting down the basket, he started plucking out the fish, beheading them and moving them to a grill for later smoking. "I just heard her voice so I assumed she was here."

The honesty in that tone pulled a soft and dreary sigh from Rin. She set to helping him lay out the fish, working in newly acquired silence.

"It's good to be back you know," the demonslayer said suddenly. "I've really missed you and everyone else."

Rin tried to smile, but the generalization stung more than anything.

_I'm getting the friends speech…fantastic._ Rin cleaved the head off of one trout with more force than necessary.

"But there's some stuff, I can't always tell my sister or even Lord Sesshomaru who probably wouldn't talk to anyone else anyway." Kohaku offered Rin his best smile and, like a sucker, she could feel herself hooked on it over again. "There are just only some things you can share with your best friend." He nudged her gently in the side and Rin felt like she'd just be stabbed in the heart.

And yet…I can't wish for anything else. "Thanks." She managed to mirror his expression enough that her grin didn't wilt around the edges. I wish I could tell him the same thing. She took comfort in the fact that Lord Sesshomaru would drop by tomorrow. He hadn't promised but the fact that he said he would was good enough. Estranged as he was to his own emotions, Rin figured he would at least provide a level head in her own conflicting heart.

Straightened, she beamed back at Kohaku. "So what adventures do you want to share?"

.

_A/N: At long last I'm done with final exams (at least for another ten weeks). Hopefully "Hooked" will update on a weekly basis now. Thank you, readers, for your patience and interest. As always, reviews are most welcome._


	4. The Reel Deal

**The Reel Deal**

Dawn was still stretching pale fingers when, aura billowing around him, Sesshomaru flew closer to the fields on the fringes of a small human village. He took a quick survey of the rolling meadow: swaying grass, early blooms, and not a human in sight during these early twilit hours. Satisfied, the dog-demon landed in a graceful swirl of power.

"Jaken. Off." He shook the lengthy mane over his shoulder when his retainer didn't move straightaway.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried, getting lost in overgrown grass that was nearly as tall as he. "Don't leave me behind!"

The imp's pleas fell on deaf ears. Whenever they came here, Sesshomaru had a one-track mind. He lingered on the outskirts of the same human village every time, prepared to tolerate the indignity for Rin.

Sniffing the cool air, Sesshomaru realized he wasn't the one to be kept waiting this morning. For the first time since the primary year he had left her here, it was Rin who waited for him. _Is something wrong? _He knew he'd find out soon enough, but it still took some effort to keep his pace steady.

"Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin greeted. There was no need to fake a smile around him; Rin bubbled happily to see someone who would always hear her out. No one ever listened like Sesshomaru, not even Kagome or Sango. He didn't interrupt or ask questions or accidently slip and give away a secret. And, even if he always had a bit of a bored expression, she knew Sesshomaru gave her his full attention. Rin need only ask that he offer input.

The daiyokai put up with her fawning. Sometimes he feared that he was spoiling her, staying too close, not letting her grow entirely accustomed to her human neighbors. But…this was one selfishness Sesshomaru wasn't sure he could overcome. If ever Rin needed him, if there was something that required solely his guidance, he wanted to be there. Neither scheme nor skirmish could take precedence over his time with her.

"Say, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked in the tone she used whenever she craved his undivided attention.

Turning toward the forest, meandering for a longer walk – and away from Jaken – Sesshomaru regally inclined his head. She had his ear.

Taking the cue, Rin continued. "I got a question."

Sesshomaru smirked. _That isn't so unusual._ "Ask."

Rin thought about it for a second, trying to phrase her inquiry in terms the militant daiyokai might understand. Something devoid of what he called "emotional involvement." _Like that's so easy with this issue_. "How would you," she started, "how do you know when it's time to back out of a war you know you can't win and just cut your losses?"

Sesshomaru arched a brow. "You mean accept defeat?" Claws raked through silver bangs, trying to process such a foreign concept. "Rin, have you been trying to spar with Kohaku again? This Sesshomaru advised you otherwise."

"No-o," Rin grumbled. It was uncanny how eerily close Sesshomaru got to the topic at hand, though. "All right scratch that."

Sesshomaru watched the girl as she empathically waved her hands in the air in front of them as if to clear a slate.

"Let's just say that you and another great lord are battling for the same province." Rin demonstrated the opposing sides with parallel arms. "And the other lord really seems to be winning and under his guidance the province thrives. Do you give up the fight and just leave well enough alone?"

"Rin." Sesshomaru paused long enough in their walk to hold her gaze.

"Yes?"

"You know my answer to such a situation." He turned and kept walking.

"Free will of the people?" Rin offered, trotting after to keep up.

"_No_." Amber eyes slanted Rin's way in mild reproach. "That object of contention, the province as it were, you destroy it."

Rin stumbled. This was not the lucid, rational, _civil_ advice she needed.

"Your rival," Sesshomaru continued, heedless to his lagging company, "should have nothing that would increase his holdings over yours. _Burn that province to the ground. _Does that answer your question?"

"Somewhat, m'lord." Rin toyed with a loose strand on her sleeve. That was nowhere near the answer she had hoped to hear. _Well, what did you expect him to say? Agree that the best man had won?_

Sesshomaru's nose didn't miss the tension that failed to leave Rin's scent as they walked back to regroup with Jaken. Before his garrulous vassal would demolish their privacy, the daiyokai trusted his instinct to finally ask. "What troubles you?"

Rin fidgeted. The question was so direct. "Nothing, Lord Sesshomaru."

_She's lying_, Sesshomaru dully observed. _But she's also requesting that I not pry. _A shrug rolling off his shoulders, Sesshomaru decided to move on to a lighter subject. "So how's Kohaku?"


	5. Others in the Sea

_A/N: Rappa is another word for ninja, the stealth mercenaries of feudal Japan. Interestingly, they did refer to themselves as "grass" as a code word. _

**Others in the Sea**

Plodding along with Jaken at her side babbling something about prospective holdings on the coast, Rin listened with only half an ear, still distracted from Sesshomaru's advice.

_He certainly didn't mind elaborating on the gory details either, _she thought sullenly.

But as anxious for his input as she had been, Rin couldn't bring herself to disclose this latest development – _Or would that be regression?_ – with Kohaku to even Sesshomaru. She knew the unvoiced hopes the daiyokai pinned on her friend. _And that's _all_ he is,_ Rin reminded herself ruefully. Kagome used to giggle about courting, Miroku opined on his favorite pick-up lines, and, whenever he wasn't off taking a fox magic exam, even Shippo asked if Rin had "gone to level two yet."

_Geez, if you think about it everyone but Kohaku was betting on Kohaku!_ _How can he be so thick? So blind? So what about the other girl?_

But, no matter how much the emotion welled up inside, Rin couldn't tell her closest confidant. It felt like tattling. She knew Sesshomaru well enough that he would strong-arm whomever necessary to get what he wanted, to make everything go according to plan. _But you can't plan for two people to fall in love. The least I can do is be the good friend Kohaku says I am and be happy for him. _

It was this true and sure ideal that Rin kept close as she and Jaken neared the back of Sango's house, Kohaku's unofficial training site on his breaks. At that moment, moral high ground might have been her last salvation.

_I'll tell him, then. If I can say it outright that I'm happy for him, I can start to change my attitude. _

Head held high, Rin marched around the last corner. "Hey, Kohaku!" she hollered, feeling stronger and more confident. But when the taijiya whirled around to face her, the concrete resolve crumbled away. His kosode hung loose and it was all the tongue-tied girl could do not to stare at the sweat that trickled over his collarbone and slicked down his exposed chest.

"Uh…" _Breathe, woman! Breathe! _"Lord Sesshomaru's here," was all Rin managed, trying to avert her eyes from the clinging shirt.

_If it's possible to be jealous of a piece of cloth, then I am wickedly so._ "Training?" She tried to sound casual, cool, apathetic…_everything Lord Sesshomaru is that I'm not._

"Yeah," Kohaku answered with a puff as he swung in the great kusarigama that Totosai gave him some five years ago. Although the weapon was nearly as large as the Hiraikotsu, Kohaku caught it deftly one-handed. "You know how my visits are kinda short here, so I gotta stay at the ready."

"Mm-hm," Rin agreed, not quite sure what she was nodding at.

The small, green imp at her side reminded her. "Enough of your idle chatter and girlish gawking already! Lord Sesshomaru's time is not to be wasted making cow-eyes at a boy!"

_And YOU are the reason why I'm still single!_ While she could only glare daggers at Jaken, if she had the authority, Rin would have liked to have squished him right there. As she grew older it became considerably harder to shrug off the imp's barbs, made all the worse by Jaken's knack for poor timing.

"And you" – the Staff of Heads swung in Kohaku's direction – "had better not keep m'lord in further suspense. He specifically requested your audience, boy, and I could think of no higher honor than – hey! Don't walk away when I'm talking!"

"He's doing as you instructed, Master Jaken." Rin rolled her eyes. "He's getting a move on."

"Aren't you coming with?" Kohaku asked, looking at Rin.

"I think he wants to keep it private." Rin felt herself backpedaling as she talked. " 'Sides, I got some stuff to do. Kagome said she wanted to quiz me on digestive herbs and I have to, uh, review. C'mon, Master Jaken, let's go!" Without giving him a chance to protest, Rin scooped up the blustering imp in one arm and waving good-bye with her free hand. "See you around!" It was a stupid, shallow cover, but not without some truth. Mercifully, Kohaku didn't pry and went along in the direction Rin came from.

_Usually she spends these days stalking me._ Kohaku hoisted the enormous chain-and-sickle over his shoulder, fingers drumming the grip. _Now what's her deal? Man, girls are strange…_Kohaku shook his head, glad that Sesshomaru would probably have a less confusing topic to discuss.

oOo

"Another woman?" the dog-demon repeated.

Back straight, face forward, Kohaku nodded. And he was suddenly relieved to have his professional weapon on hand. Usually Sesshomaru sparred with him, tested just how much his travels had improved his skill and handling of the great kusarigama. This new hurdle was completely unexpected.

The stammer of his boyhood inflecting his speech, Kohaku felt his tongue go dry. "Yes, I've been, ah, with her for a-a while now."

Although they were about the same height now, Sesshomaru managed to make Kohaku feel smaller, tilting his head and looking at him from the corner of his eye. The expression bordered on disgust.

_What's that supposed to – ?_ "I-I mean kept company, m'lord!" Kohaku waved his hands defensively. "And a-as for marriage…" The slayer swallowed, trying to control his breathing. If he was going to propose it to Miyoko in the near future, then he was prepared to say it to anyone else, including Lord Sesshomaru. "I plan to marry her."

If this latest revelation perturbed Sesshomaru he gave no inclination, he couldn't have looked more serene than if Kohaku had said Rin instead. His composure was perfect. But the taijiya knew otherwise as the air around them heated to a placid inferno.

Sesshomaru's proverbial hackles quivered. This mortal woman was the singular foil in his plans. Were it not for her, Kohaku would not feel duty-bound to any other female except Rin. Killing seemed extreme and, diplomatically speaking, it would leave undue tension between him and Kohaku. Sesshomaru did not want to lose the asset of the lands' first taijiya from his favor…he had worked far too hard to break such a fine weapon.

"Kohaku," Sesshomaru spoke in light, measured tones.

The demonslayer gulped. "Sir?"

"You do not wish to marry Rin then?"

Under his kosode, Kohaku could feel fresh perspiration trail down his back and wondered just how much his scent betrayed him to that canine nose. _If I say no, he'll take it as an insult. _Kohaku wasn't ignorant of Rin's importance to Sesshomaru. Offering marriage with one of his own "family," Kohaku reasoned, was Sesshomaru's greatest display of trust and allegiance. _But why me? He should know I consider him a friend. What's matrimony got to do with this?_ Kohaku inwardly sighed. Dragging feelings and love into this matter was not something the pragmatic daiyokai would permit, but…_That's the truth._ "I cannot give myself to one lady if my heart already belongs to another," he finally answered, privately pleased with his smooth return.

Kohaku's relief was short-lived.

"Why not?" Sesshomaru didn't even bat an eye.

Kohaku twitched. He'd more or less forgotten that monogamy was not necessarily a priority among dog-demons. "Human women do appreciate it and men are much in the same way."

Magenta eyelids fluttered as the information was processed. Sesshomaru recalled a certain monk, now Kohaku's brother-in-law, as having a wandering eye and a body willing to follow. _But even that houshi has married now, too_, he considered. "And yet you are a fitting choice." The daiyokai's tone was mechanical, denying any misconstrued flattery and stating only fact.

While Kohaku fumbled for a reply, Sesshomaru had already shifted his attention. His ears detected a low humming and his nose caught a sudden rift in the air.

_Shuriken. _

Faster than Kohaku could register it, Sesshomaru caught the kunai knife, his hand closing around it just inches from his throat. Dropping it, his free hand stretched into rake of claws, prepared to rip at the low shadow that rustled through the tall grass.

"No!" Moving faster than he could think, Kohaku wedged himself between the two; the double-bladed sickle fanning before Sesshomaru and one arm pressing against Miyoko, a second blade drawn and ready in her grip.

Kohaku turned to the more lethal of the pair. "Please, don't, m'lord," he implored. Although his eyes were still trained on Sesshomaru, Kohaku respectfully gazed at the space near the demon's pointed ear rather than directly in his eyes.

Glowing claws lowered. "Explain."

"Lord Sesshomaru, I present Miyoko, my, uhhh, the girl I was talking about," Kohaku stammered. Ushering Miyoko a few paces back, he informed her, "This was the special master I was talking about."

Miyoko felt her face heat up, but she relaxed visibly. "My apologies, Lord Sesshomaru! I didn't know you were the noble ally of whom Kohaku spoke so highly." She bowed deeply. "It is an honor and privilege to meet such a great demon on friendly terms."

Looking down his nose at her, the daiyokai pointedly directed his question to Kohaku. "What is she?"

"Umm, the lady I mentioned?" Kohaku supplied as if hoping this were the correct answer.

Amber eyes narrowed. _I know that_. Sesshomaru sniffed audibly, his nose wrinkling as traces of gunpowder and poisons revealed their hidden locations on the woman's person.

"A simple village girl," Miyoko volunteered, her voice even. "No more than the grass beneath your heels, my lord."

_Grass, eh?_ "_Rappa_ then," Sesshomaru pronounced, looking at Kohaku to gauge his reaction.

To his mild surprise, the demonslayer nodded assent. "I know she is a spy, Lord Sesshomaru. Our professions happened to cross paths one night." Straightening, Kohaku stepped forward. This time, there was no uncertainty in his eyes. "I think we make a good combination."

Unbidden, Sesshomaru's gaze wandered to the fallen dagger at his feet. _Young and strong…_he sighed inwardly. It wasn't Rin, Kohaku had just found another. _And they are fit for each other._

"As you please, taijiya." Sesshomaru's decision delivered just as steadily. "Rin will marry another."

"Marry another?" Miyoko gaped, hurt and confusion flickering across her face. "You mean Rin was your betrothed?! I thought you said she was like a kid-sister to you."

"She is!" Kohaku blurted. And regretted the words the instant he saw Sesshomaru's expression.

In a rare moment of astonishment, Kohaku saw those golden eyes widen, but it took him several seconds more to realize the shock wasn't m him. He swung around and the sight Kohaku caught made him feel lower than the dirt under daiyokai's boots.

A hand pressed to her mouth, Rin choked back a sob, but refused to let herself cry. _I'm not as upset as I look…I think. I'm happy for you, Kohaku! I'm happy you can find someone for yourself!_ But young man's words and the plain honesty that gilted them cut Rin to the quick. _Lord Sesshomaru, just let him off the hook. I'm happy! Dammit!_

The words never did form between her inarticulate splutters. And, like the "kid" Kohaku thought she was, she ran.

"Rin!" Kohaku made to dash after her, but his arm caught in Sesshomaru's vice grip.

Giving a single, sharp shake of his head, the daiyokai stated pointedly, "She is none of your concern."

Kohaku felt shame and sorrow twist his innards and Miyoko shot him a baleful glare. But why was it his fault? He never agreed to anything!

_Of all the other fish in the sea…why me, Rin? _

_._

_A/N: As always, reviews are most appreciated!_


	6. Sea Legs

**Sea Legs**

His mane bristling so every hair stood jaggedly at attention, the stole over Sesshomaru's shoulder looked more like porcupine quills and less like dog fur. The lashing tip warned away any who may have dared get too close.

_But that doesn't keep them from making commentary_, the daiyokai observed, not without vexation. Just that morning, Sesshomaru heard Inuyasha offhandedly opine, "He's just in a pissy mood because his little matchmaker scheme got blown out of the water." Most days, he would've throttled his brother for such insolence alone if only…

_If only it weren't true. _

Although she continued about her daily routine as if nothing had happened, Rin had slipped into a disconcerting silence the rest of that day, and it did nothing for the daiyokai's nerves when it didn't abate the succeeding afternoon. By the second morning, Sesshomaru was fed up with lurking on the village fringes to furtively check on her every day. She was supposed to be independent now, acquitted from his constant watch; but responsibility wasn't nearly so easy to shrug off and possessiveness coursed through the dog-demon's marrow. Years later and Sesshomaru found himself continually drawn to the modest village where Rin, _his_ Rin, resided. He brought her garments, combs, necessities and the occasional triviality. Not for the first time that week, Sesshomaru questioned if he had let her grow too attached. Perhaps she was in more need of his care than he had anticipated? Maybe she wasn't emotionally ready to start her own life, even if she was "of age." Still, he remembered how she made the request to travel with him again or Kohaku – though Sesshomaru doubted the latter appealed any longer and his life was far too dangerous to guarantee her safety. At least the taijiya would come home to Rin. Sesshomaru wouldn't stand for her to be put in harm's way again.

If Rin's maturation bothered him, Sesshomaru was more perturbed by his own involuntary response. He _wanted_ to shelter her, protect her from sleights and scorches of life. But he was finding the task rather difficult himself.

_All for want of better planning!_

He hadn't considered that Kohaku would go and commit himself to another mortal girl and fall in love with her no less. Humans had no discretion! How could it be? But he had to know. Had to state, to ascertain…

_"Rin will marry another."_

Just had to know.

Because he couldn't believe it himself. The misfortune that Rin had been downwind that morning wasn't as bad as Sesshomaru's neglect of his gut instinct. He shouldn't have pressed. And yet even instinct didn't override the impulse to make sure, to _know_.

But the look on Rin's face didn't leave his memory, making it clear she had heard every word necessary to scald and hurt. But she was a young woman now, she ought to be old enough to shoulder it. _And she's resilient, _Sesshomaru rationalized. Yet that didn't excuse him from the responsibility as the one who suggested Kohaku in the first place. The same voice that made him first reach for Tenseiga some eight years ago made itself known again. _"You're the one who planted the idea, who recommended a boy that would only break her heart."_

_What a nuisance. _

Sesshomaru snorted through his nose. No one was dying here. Rin would talk in her own time. He couldn't idle in this human village much longer. Rising gracefully so that not even the old roof creaked, Sesshomaru prepared to take off. At the sound of Rin's voice, he stopped altogether.

_She's talking_. Sesshomaru exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Crouching down, he listened through the thatched roof for other snippets of the conversation.

"Would you like an extra towel?" Inuyasha's miko asked.

"No, thank you," came Rin's even-toned reply.

Pointed ears flexed. _And?_

And Rin walked out of the hut, a basket strapped to her shoulders, bound for the rice fields. She strolled, but without a tune to her throat or a spring in her step.

_She's still…communicating._ Strangely, the development both agitated and relieved Sesshomaru. But his conscience eased just enough to release him to the skies.

Rin was still young. He had time to select another _suitable_ male. Any man foolish enough to deny Rin was not wise enough to be Sesshomaru's…

_…Son-in-law?_

He cringed at the thought of affixing a familial title to a human, bad enough his half-brother's woman was trying to use it on him whenever the opportunity presented itself. No need to say it, then. So why did he mind less when Kohaku was the candidate?

_Enough_, the daiyokai commanded himself. The matter was settled and he would tolerate it. Sesshomaru would settle for nothing else except the best possible outcome.

And another human was it.

oOo

Only the demon's blue eyes and the top of his spiked, silver hair peaked from the surface, the rest of Kichiruka and the new conch staff of his last three days' examination remained submerged. Floating just beneath the brook's surface, he scowled at his foe. Deceptively grassy, the mud-drenched bank was too high to clear in single spring. Kichiruka would have to climb it.

And he really, really didn't want to set foot outside the nice, wet stream. He didn't want to feel that cold blast of wind that would surely assail him once he set foot out. The water was warm and tepid, the current sliding comfortingly past him like an ever-shifting blanket. Fortune had been kind to him today, he had successfully avoided the troublesome net this time. He could swim along back to the ocean happily unhindered. But…

_I promised her. _

Kichiruka knew there were yokai who didn't keep their word and had heard the stories of humans being worse or, at best, no different. _Not to mention forgetful_. Who was to say if Rin had even thought about her wish once during these three days? If the court could see him now, deciding whether or not bother with a human, they'd laugh…harder than usual. But, then, Rin didn't have to bother cutting him loose that day either, now did she? If she had forgotten, that was fine, he'd go on his way.

_But it won't do to let karma get the better of me. I can tolerate a little chill for that. _

Determinedly, setting one webbed claw over the other, Kichiruka dragged himself, cumbersome staff and all, onto the bank. Mud oozed between his fingers and dirtied the knees of his hakama. He grimaced. _Ugh, I feel like a bottom-feeder. _

As soon as he was on land, the demon scrambled to his feet, wobbled for a second, then let gravity decide that it was better to sit. A split-second later, the weighted, seashell end of his staff came down on his skull with a dull _klunk_. Kichiruka swore softly. In a jumble of limbs and heavy, soaked silks, the graceless yokai struggled to right himself. Even after all his training, he wasn't used to the land environment. Air didn't give support and comfort like water and you always had to have your feet on the ground. Worst of all, there was no current to sweep you to wherever you needed a ride. You had to walk.

_I should at least try to do that much in comfort. _

Clapping his hands together in a kata, the water demon mumbled a short incantation. When he straightened his clothes this time they were dry and perfectly creased as they should have been. Then he set to the more difficult task at hand. Knees knocking and arms windmilling, Kichiruka's toes curled to grip the grass. Walking was a chore, but once the momentum was underway it wasn't so bad. But standing after a week spend in water…

"Girl, your wish had better be damn good!" he hollered at the skies, losing his balance all over again. _Gods, if I ever make it over there…! _Stabbing his staff into the dirt, Kichiruka spread his feet apart and took one quaking step forward. Then another. By the fifth time, he remembered that he now possessed knees that could better compensate for the shifting weight. With any luck, he'd be at the nearest village by sundown.

oOo

Thankfully, Kichiruka's first guess at Rin's location was right on target and he arrived at the human settlement before just as the sun climbed to noon.

Even better, Rin wasn't that hard to spot. Dressed in a soft indigo, her work clothes still looked more refined than the common woman's. _Maybe someone's a merchant in her family._ Kichiruka edged closer, his confidence ebbing as he noticed all the surrounding humans, each going about their own tasks. The water demon tried to keep a low profile. _Tch, like anyone around this village has dark silver hair this long! _

Rin was working near the rice paddies today with the other villagers, but noticeably in a corner alone. Kichiruka didn't recall her seeming like the quiet type. He slunk over, careful not to disturb anyone else…at least that was the plan until he got near Rin.

"Okay! Third day's here!" he chorused with new excitement at the chance to test his skills. "What'll it be?"

Basket slipping from limp fingers, Rin jumped at the sudden intrusion. Startling blue eyes blinked in a pale, spotted face less than a handspan before her. It took the addled girl several seconds to recognize the demon. "Ki-Kichiruka," she finally registered, remembering the net, her wish, and…his bumbling antics.

"So, what's the wish?" the demon nudged, his smile open and friendly.

"Nothing," Rin mumbled, returning her attentions to the basket.

"You went from considering to wanting nothing?" Kichiruka's head spun. Maybe he'd run into a kitsune in human guise. "But that doesn't make sense!" Even a shape-shifting fox would take advantage of the situation. "Nothing?" he repeated.

"Yes!" Rin snapped. "For cryin' out loud – nothing!" Standing up before she drew a crowd, she marched over to the village's communal stables.

"Hey!" Kichiruka called, following awkwardly after her in a stiff-kneed run. "I didn't mean to make you upset! If you don't want – "

"I'm not upset!" Rin sniffled as she stumbled blindly into the shelter of the horse stalls.

"Yes, you are! You're crying," he pointed out.

Rin refused to answer. Instead, she curled up in a corner, her face buried in her knees. She remained silent.

Kichiruka stared at her, sat down, and waited for something to happen. Maybe humans were like mussels, except without the shell to close them off. Leaning heavily on his staff, the young yokai rose to leave, but his feet stayed. It was at odds with his nature to leave anything so alone and unhappy.

"Hey, uh, Rin?" When she didn't respond he prodded with his staff like children with sticks poked at slugs. The first time, Rin remained as withdrawn as a hermit crab; but when Kichiruka tried again, she nearly yanked the staff from his hands. "Whoa, there! Now that's a strong grip!" the demon yelped and cartwheeled out of the way. When the stables stopped spinning, Kichiruka noticed the little acrobatic feat had gotten Rin's attention. Finding this much easier than standing, he performed another. Then another followed up by a somersault.

Rin blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to make you laugh," Kichiruka replied simply. Grinning, he tried another cartwheel. She was still watching.

"Huh," Rin scoffed, but had to duck behind her sleeve as a smile threatened to overtake her any second. No one had ever _tried _to make her laugh. It was…pretty funny.

"Ah! She _does_ laugh!" Still grinning, Kichiruka stood on his head. "You had one of these on when I walked in." Carefully, with one hand, he traced his upside-down smile. "Now you've got -whoa! AWP!" Losing his balance, the demon fell forward and flat on his face. In a nearby stall, a horse whinnied in a very close imitation of laughter.

"I sure hope you don't make a living doing this stuff," Rin snickered. Getting up, she walked over to where the odd yokai lay in an undignified sprawl.

"You know, I'm much better at this in the water," he huffed, rubbing his head and nursing his bruised pride. "And it took me seventy-three years and two seasons to get this form just right so I could tramp around like you two-legs."

Rin tilted her head to one side. Somehow, seventy-three years sounded like a long time to perfect a temporary form, even for lesser yokai. When she had met him nearly a decade ago, Shippo said he was fifty years old and already he looked pretty darn close to passing for human. "Seventy-three years?"

"And two seasons," Kichiruka snorted. "You better remember that much. Everything I do I had to learn myself. I wasn't born with the knack like greater yokai."

"Did you make that yourself?" Rin pointed at the staff. Its creamy orange length spiraled like a mythic beast's horn, the end that wasn't pointed was crowned by a large, spiked conch shell. It certainly looked impressive. _Which means it probably isn't his._

Lifting the staff proudly, Kichiruka answered, "Nope."

_Eh, thought so. _

Something must have shown in Rin's expression because he got suddenly defensive. "Hey! You didn't let me finish! I was going to say that I had to _earn_ this honor all on my own."

"Really?" Brown eyes widened in new-found admiration. "Wow, what does it do?"

The water demon blinked. Then made a show of crossing his arms over his chest, the conch staff in the crook of his elbow. "Its wonders shall reveal themselves to me in due time."

_Great, so he doesn't know either._ Chewing her lip, Rin considered this a moment. Kichiruka had pulled off a something she hadn't seen other demons master. "I was wondering, how did you disappear so quickly into the stream that last time?"

Kichiruka laughed, high and bubbling like a cascade. "I am water," he said matter-of-factly, arms spread in an expansive gesture. "I flow where I please."

"Except in nets," she reminded.

"Har, har." Kichiruka rolled his eyes. Then looked back at Rin. "Don't get cute," he chuckled, and winked one sapphire eye for her.

Rin felt her face heat in response and her pulse skipped to double-time. _Where's that coming from? _

Planting his feet firmly and leaning heavily on the conch staff, Kichiruka stood. He accomplished the feat a little more quickly now that he had an audience. Straightening his posture, he twirled his staff like a baton before smartly lodging it between his sash and short jacket. "Look, I'll give you…another five days."

"Five days?" Rin parroted dumbly.

"For the wish!" Kichiruka ran a hand exasperatedly through his gray bangs. "Geez, humans _are_ absentminded! It's the reason I'm returning to this rinky-dink village. But if you make me go out of my way again, I may have to forget how you did so for me." _No use returning a favor if they don't want it. _

With a whirl that the made the spray of stiff tresses in his ponytail whip, Kichiruka dashed out of the stables to the rice paddies' pond, disappearing before the water settled and anyone noticed.

Just to double check, Rin swished a hand through the ripples. "He's gone all right."

Settling down with her basket again, Rin got to work, and hummed while she did.

.

_A/N: Phew, so this was a bit of an extended chapter, so I hope you didn't mind the delay. Thank you for reading and your reviews are most appreciated! _


	7. Gutted and Cleaned

_A/N: Oi, I really don't mean to lag, but midterm essays are catching up on me. Thanks for reading and all your patience!_

**Gutted and Cleaned**

It wasn't until she was old enough for "real" missions – ones that weren't just about delivering scrolls in secret and being a fly on the wall – that Miyoko realized the gravity her profession entailed. The first daimyo wasn't so bad. He was an oppressive cretin and it was no challenge for the newly initiated ninja to convince herself he had it coming. But by the third mark, Miyoko quit. That one made her feel like turning the blade on herself. He was only a child, couldn't have seen five yet. The blood didn't stain Miyoko's hands, but her refusal and the subsequent delay was enough to muddy her clan's reputation. With word spreading like wildfire, it became an unnecessary challenge to send a new, successful assassin. For such a disgrace, the fiasco should've ended in her ritual suicide.

_But I was too much of a coward. I ran. _

When no one came looking for her after two years in seclusion, Miyoko changed her name and ventured into espionage once more, selecting the rare bloodless cases and, incidentally, charging outlandish rates. The eccentricity would've had her discovered were it not for the taijiya who promised a way out. Kohaku had proved you didn't have to live your life as a hired blade for human lives. Even in these warring times, there was still hope to find life and protect it. Miyoko cherished Kohaku's the most.

Four seasons at the demonslayer's side later, and killing was still never something that set comfortably with Miyoko. And, remembering that look on Rin's face a couple of days ago, she knew she was responsible for whatever she'd crushed in Kohaku's friend that morning.

She'd already wasted half the day debating, but one thought rang clear and true in her head: _I've got to set things straight_. It was decided and Miyoko set off down the winding dirt path to Rin's hut.

"Where are you going?" A strong hand gripped her shoulder.

"To talk to Rin." Her voice was taut, unwavering. She turned a sharp eye to Kohaku, but didn't slow her brisk pace. "I'm sure your 'kid sis' would like to know why her man came back with another girl."

The taijiya crossed his arms defensively. "Hey, how was I supposed to know I was being hooked up behind my back?"

"How do you not?" Miyoko took a challenging step forward, her temper flaring and she pushed the slayer back with a glare alone. "And you kept information from me. You never mentioned that: one, your mentor was a flippin' daiyokai! And two, that your 'little sister' was under his watch."

"That didn't seem relevant," Kohaku hedged, pulling distractedly at the tail of his topknot.

"Not relevant?" Miyoko snapped. "Don't you know anything about people? A man that powerful is gonna want to keep someone like you, someone he invested time in, close. Marriage is used to keep those ties! Now move!" Without waiting for Kohaku to comply, she placed her hands on his shoulders and leapfrogged over him.

"Hold it!" In a liquid reflex, the taijiya's smaller, equipment chain whipped out of his capacious sleeve, snaking around Miyoko's ankle. As if she were a weapon and not a woman, he caught her expertly before she hit the ground.

A few villagers grumbled about making a ruckus, others chuckled that at least this lovers' spat was a change from the priestess and her hanyo. Kohaku just wanted to get it cleared up.

"Let go of me!" With shinobi skill, Miyoko's serpentine slithers threatened to free her from Kohaku's locked arms and more than once he had to adjust his grip.

"Be still!" Kohaku ordered in a learned tone. "I may not have spent my life in convoluted politics, but I know Rin well enough that she'll come around to you in her own time. Give 'er her space."

Protests subsiding and struggles growing a little less adamant, Miyoko still vent her pent-up emotion. "No wonder she was so tight-lipped with me. I kept prattling on about us! She must've thought I was a total b—"

"I _know_ you mean well," he said in a softer voice.

Miyoko stopped moving altogether. Her head hung and slowly Kohaku released her. Then spinning around, she buried her face in Kohaku's chest, shoulders shuddering. "It's just I…I wanted to be friends with someone you really seemed comfortable with…" _To fit in with your friends_, Miyoko confessed to herself. "And now, I've tarnished the chance. I feel like I just _killed_ something inside her." Her voice caught and muddled the last few words.

_God, no wonder she got out of the business._ Feeling tears seep through his haori's fabric, Kohaku's embrace encircled the woman he admired for all her bravery. Gently, his leaned in to whisper in her ear, whiskers scraping the side of her face. "You're a good person, Miyoko. Never persuade yourself otherwise."

And, tipping her chin upward so she could met his gaze and all the tenderness that welled inside, he kissed her.

oOo

Rin was just getting ready for her afternoon break when Kagome shuffled over and took up a seat beside her.

"How's it goin'?" the miko asked brightly, setting down a basket full of rice stalks from one of the other ponds.

"Mm, getting better." _Sorta…Scratch that. More complicated._ But Rin was helpless to stop the open smile that stretched across her face.

Kagome rallied for the young girl, glad Rin had perked up considerably since this morning and the past couple of days. She reached over to idly gather the remaining good stalks Rin had overlooked.

"Hey, Miss Kagome?"

The priestess hummed lightly to let her little friend know she had her full attention.

"What would you do if…if you could wish for anything in the world?"

Kagome looked up from her work. "Anything?"

Rin blinked as if remembering a caveat. "Well, almost anything."

"I wouldn't." Kagome watched Rin's expression dissolve. "Do you remember the Shikon Jewel?"

"Yeah," Rin groaned, she knew where this was going: to a lecture she didn't need. "Let's say this wish isn't coming from a little marble with malicious intent. How 'bout just hypothetically speaking?" she tried again.

"Most wishes come with a heavy price, you know that. You're better off striving with hard work or being happy with what you've got."

Rin twitched. Kagome was just seven years her senior and she already acted like such an old crone.

"To be honest, Rin dear, I wouldn't wish." Rocking back on her haunches, Kagome stared pensively at the sky. "Sometimes, things happen for a reason and if you don't get what you want…well, it usually works out." She laughed good-naturedly. "Take Lord Sesshomaru for example…"

Rin smirked. "I'll bet."

"Don't worry, hon." A white sleeve wrapped around her in rough camaraderie. "Kohaku will be sorry someday."

"Okay…uh, thanks."Rin hoped her hollow laughter wasn't too transparent. _I don't want him to be sorry. I want him to be happy,_ Rin sighed inwardly. _Preferably with me_.

"C'mon." Kagome patted her friend's side and scooped up her tall basket of unstripped rice, looping her arms through the shoulder straps. "Let's take these over to the mill to separate the chaff."

Rin nodded and followed after the priestess. They hadn't gone a very long ways when Kagome abruptly stopped short, turned around, and said, with a weird smile plastered over her blushing face, "Let's take a shortcut."

"Huh? Why?" Stepping around the miko before she could give any warning, Rin got an eyeful of the scene. Kohaku. Miyoko. Lip-locked. When they separated it was with, to Rin's ears, a loud, wet smacking noise. At least they both had the decency to look embarrassed.

_Actually, geez, Miyoko looks like she's about to cry._

But instead of listening to Kagome's calls to "come along," Rin walked up to Kohaku's…girlfriend. _Be happy with what you have, huh, Kagome?_ "Hi, Miyoko."

The young woman nodded and Rin watched her make the visible effort to straight her shoulders and scrub a rough hand over her face. "Hello, Rin," she said hoarsely.

Shouldering her basket and shifting the woven straps, Rin fumbled for what exactly she meant to say. "I, um, just wanted to ask, has anyone shown you the sakura groves over the next slope? It's the spring season, you know, and I think they should be in bloom and…" Rin stopped when she realized she was rambling. Then smiled.

Miyoko blinked. "No." She sniffled, but forged ahead, emboldened by the kind offer. "Are you… inviting me?"

"Sure, if you want to come." Rin beamed, glancing back at Kagome who nodded approvingly. Then the girl tapped a hand on the bushel she carried. "Lemme just put this away."

Leaving Kohaku's side, Miyoko reached for the basket. Then, remembering Rin's initial reaction, she paused. "May I?"

Bangs bounced in an obliging nod, and Rin allowed Miyoko to help.

"Be back later!" Kohaku's friend smiled and waved at him. In return, he offered his best lopsided grin. He hadn't doubted her for a minute.

_Ah, well, _Rin thought with a careless shrug. _He'll be sorry…someday_.

.

_A/N: And here's a shout-out to all the anonymous reviewers! Thank you very much for your kind encouragement. Wish I could reply to you all individually. Your support is most appreciated!_

_Also, for a little character visual, I've uploaded a bit of concept art on Deviantart .com: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/art/Hooked-Others-in-the-Sea-161541157 Please remove spaces before input_


	8. Floundering

_A/N: Well, I certainly didn't expect to get that much detained from updating! Can't wait 'til finals (note the sarcasm). On with the show!_

**Floundering**

Miyoko never did become Rin's best friend, but at least matters were settled. Somewhat. As the days passed in uneventful succession, each blurring into the next, more often than she cared to admit, Rin caught herself torn between wishing Kohaku happiness and wondering if there existed Beads of Subjugation for humans.

Fortunately, the well-known taijiya was called in. The job wasn't so far away to pack up and leave for a season as he always did, but it was enough to require Kilala and an overnight stay. _And apparently sufficiently intense to require an assistant,_ Rin enviously observed, feeling greener than Miyoko's kimono, as she pictured the rappa joining Kohaku astride the two-tailed cat. They left early in the morning and, even though she was awake enough to hear Miyoko helping the expert demonslayer strap on his armor – _like he needs it!_ – she didn't bother waving them farewell.

A couple hours later, Rin wandered out through the village commons, walking aimlessly among the huts and chicken coops. Her eyes roaming the dirt and middle ground, Rin never caught sight of Inuyasha until he gruffly called from somewhere above her.

"If you need somethin' to do, we're outta fish again. Didja hear?" Inuyasha drawled from his rooftop perch.

"Mm-hm," Rin hummed distracted, only nodding in the half-demon's general direction.

Raising a bushy brow, Inuyasha noticed Kagome's friend wasn't exactly at a loss for chores or busy work. "They left a while ago, kiddo."

Rin's head snapped up. "I can see that," she snipped.

"Hey, watch it, girl," Inuyasha retorted. "Wasn't me who was pining away for a taken man."

Forcing down the emotion that threatened to clog her throat, Rin gained control of her voice long enough to snap back. "You're so damn insensitive!"

_Funny comin' from the girl who hangs around that asshole Sesshomaru_, Inuyasha thought, but he bit his tongue on that one. He'd learned the hard way to watch his mouth around his half-brother's ward. When he could help it, anyway. Lacing his fingers behind his neck, he lay back down against the roof's shingles. "I was just tellin' ya you ain't gonna find them around here."

"Well, good riddance," she snorted stubbornly, disregarding Inuyasha's disbelieving _keh_ and heading to the smoke house to grab a fishing basket and cleaning knife.

_Idiot. Who does he think he is to make such commentary? _Bad enough Rin was still having trouble convincing the most important person: herself.

Cutting through the pomp and pride, Rin wanted to go with them. _Well, not exactly with them._ She wasn't sure she could stomach the lovebirds and their doe-eyed gazes much longer. _But to go wherever they're going. To get a change of scenery. Some adventure!_

Then she'd look back at her homely little village and hear Kagome's words echo in her head. And Rin would sigh, wondering what was wrong with herself if she couldn't be content…even if she already knew the answer.

_I'm sorry, Kagome, but when you can have the splendor of something fantastic wishing for just plain happiness seems like a waste._

Maybe if she could just go and be happy with Kohaku…

Her hands clapped in front of her face. _Over it! I'm _over_ it!_

And, her supplies in hand, Rin marched to the local stream, stiff-legged with teeth grit. The extended walk was enough to take some of the edge off of her mood. Then, as she neared the fishing nets again, she remembered with a jolt she had yet to even think of a real wish. Drat, what day was it anyway? Kichiruka had said five days more. Had it already been that long? Rin tried to count back the past evenings, but they all muddled together.

_Okay, don't panic. Just think of a wish. _Her mind raced and all it arrived with was a simpleton's dream. _Well, I've always wanted to be taller,_ Rin considered. Then whacked her head against the fishing basket, a frustrated growl gurgling between her teeth.

_Oh, I don't know!_ she admitted, finally crumpling to her knees at the bank's grassy edge. Gloom crept up on Rin again, and she remembered the blundering yokai that had lifted her spirits last time. _All I really wish right now is that Kichiruka would…_

Suddenly a column of water shot straight up in front of her. It's loud, rushing roar startled Rin's pulse right into her throat. The freak cyclone dissipated as something, or someone, spun out of it, and pounced.

"Hey, Rin!" Kichiruka landed in a perfect crouch beside her…then lost his balance and tipped over like an overstuffed sack of rice. He sprawled indecorously on his backside, the conch staff clunking off his head. He paid no mind. "Somethin' wrong? You look kinda pale."

Her heartbeat steadily returning to normal, Rin's melancholy gave way to spiked temper. "Amateratsu above! What was that surprise for? Jerk!" With an infuriated snarl, Rin shoved the perplexed yokai back into the brook. She hoped the water was shallow enough to hurt. She threw the staff after him for good measure.

Annoyingly unfazed, Kichiruka surfaced with his usual perk. Flowing around her moodswing, he proceeded right on course. "Do you have your wish?"

"Oh…uh…" Rin tugged at her collar, trying to brainstorm something. "No," she conceded. Then quickly added, "I've decided to save it."

"Hey!" Kichiruka protested. When he crossed his arms, Rin noticed dark blotches similar to the ones on his face. But right now, the demon's blazing sapphire eyes demanded attention. "You can't do that!" he barked, pointing the seashelled end of the staff accusingly at her. "Decide right –"

"You never said I couldn't," Rin countered as her mind scrambled for an explanation. "But I did come pretty close." She smiled, just a little. "And then it came to pass."

"Tch! You're not supposed to wish for anything that can take of itself." Kichiruka's tone held more hurt than scorn. "That's what I'm for…"

"Well, I could…um…" Rin fumbled for the right words. It was cruel to keep putting the poor guy out of his way like this. At this moment, more than anything, she wanted to make it up to him somehow.

"Eeep!" Rin panicked at the sight of Kagome trotting her way. Hastily, she slapped the basket over Kichiruka's head, trying to shove him back down into the stream.

Suddenly kissing the water, the demon spluttered around a mouthful of algae. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

"Quick! Disappear!" Rin hissed, the bask in her hands bucking.

"Say what?!"

"I dunno! Just disappear into the water like you always do! C'mon! Hurry!"

Kagome's sunny greeting carried over the last couple of yards to where Rin sat.

"Is that another human I hear? Oh, can I please meet them? I prom–"

"That's a priestess, you dolt," Rin warned. "Do you know what she can _do _to the likes of you?"

"Um…no? What?"

At her wit's end, Rin leaned in to snarl, "Just scram and we'll talk later. I promise."

Suddenly, the water under her basket gave way and she found herself up to her wrists in the stream with nothing for support beneath.

_Phew!_

"Good morning!" Kagome beamed. "How's it going?"

"Oh, ah, swimmingly," she hedged.

From where she stood at Rin's side, Kagome surveyed the area, scanning the trees that led to Inuyasha's Forest and the field opposite. "Huh," huffed the miko as she settled down in the grass. "I thought I sensed a demonic aura from over here."

"Nope. None that I've noticed. Are you feeling all right, Miss Kagome?" Rin gushed before she realized how suspicious that might have come out. _Great, I sound like Jaken._

But if Kagome noticed she didn't seem to care. "Yeah…I guess," she listlessly agreed, absentmindedly fiddling with the cord atop her _gi_.

Rin sighed in relief, and nearly choked when the miko suddenly pointed skyward with a cheerful cry. "Ah, that's who it must've been!"

High above, a familiar cloud of yoki shimmered and neared for descent. Kagome waved, Sesshomaru glared, and Rin wished she could melt into the stream, too.

When the daiyokai landed Kagome noticed he was short one little, green retainer. She glanced over at Rin who seemed to watch Sesshomaru with particular intensity today.

With bated breath, Rin watched the dog-demon's nose quiver to take in several quick sniffs just like he did when he was memorizing a new scent, tracking a foe, or on to some poorly veiled deceit.

"Is it the fifth week of spring already?" he asked no one in particular.

"Nearly sixth, Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome answered. "The ocean salmon are due to head upstream any time now."

Sesshomaru didn't care for the woman's butting in and throwing out information, but his curiosity over the salty sea scent abated and he turned to address Rin, all the while pointedly ignoring the miko.

_All right, all right, I get the drift_. Kagome stood, gathering her quiver and bow. "I'll meet you back home in few!" she called to Rin, giving the two their privacy to catch up. "Goodbye, brother-in-law!"

Annoyance flickering across Sesshomaru's face, Rin took advantage of the distraction. "Walk with me?" she offered unnecessarily, but very eager to get away from the brook.

With a one-shoulder shrug, Sesshomaru ambled along. They had strolled only a few paces toward the woods before he stopped. "Wait."

Rin flinched. This was it. He was suspicious.

Instead, Sesshomaru reached into the folds of his collar and withdrew an ivory-toothed comb. White and smooth in gleamed like a fang in the sunlight. Its perfect arc was only interrupted by the petals of camellia carved into the comb's design and gilt just around the edges, matching the design of golden whorls engraved along the side.

Noticing the quirked brow that silently requested permission, Rin complied and bowed her head forward. Carefully, with a gentleness that was at odds with his clawed hands, Sesshomaru wove the teeth through her hair; twisting, resetting and adjusting it so its carved flower peeked out from the girl's ebony tresses.

These little moments couldn't last forever, he knew, but while it was still in his power he would spare no opportunity. Since his initiation as Lord of the West, Sesshomaru could count the number of times his power had been checked on one hand. A couple of them his own doing, the others by people he'd known personally. _And now by a force altogether out of reach._ Previously, time had been neither nemesis nor ally to Sesshomaru; of late he regarded it grudgingly as it only curtailed the days he spent with the person dearest to him in this world.

"Done," he announced, securing the comb with a final pat. Rin took it as a cue to smile up at him.

His mouth curled faintly around the corners. Sesshomaru was pleased, even if Rin thought he looked just a little sad.

"Come," he said, continuing their walk.

For a while Rin kept up with Sesshomaru's silent dialogue; following his gaze to a bird, interpreting his amused huff when she got distracted by a particularly colorful beetle, and picking up the odd pinecone when he nodded to it. Running ahead of him a bit, she tossed the last remnant of winter Sesshomaru's way and he deftly caught it with one hand. A slight frown torquing his features, the daiyokai seemed to think it was cheating when she used the woven basin to catch a couple of his throws. Rin giggled. She wasn't sure why or when this pinecone game had started. It was just something they did when they walked.

And as usual, she was the first to break the silence. She chitchatted amicably about the past few days, shifting her load to gesture emphatically now and then. Sesshomaru was just glad to see Rin talking with her usual zest again.

_Resilient_, Sesshomaru reaffirmed with himself.

Then Rin moved on to a newly worn subject. "And, uh, Kohaku's doing okay, too."

The dog-demon simply nodded, lobbing back the pinecone.

_Guess that's a dead line. _

For Sesshomaru, interest meant inquiries, and he noticeably didn't respond with the same enthusiasm anymore when the conversation shifted to Kohaku. _I don't think he would have mentioned him if I hadn't_, Rin realized. Pressing onward and out of the awkward silence, she tried a different topic.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Hm?"

"What would you do if you had one wish?" She blurted the words in a rush, half-hoping he wouldn't understand, that he would just ignore it as silly spouting. She wholly wished just to get it over with.

"Forget about it," he answered simply, then gestured for the pinecone. Tossing halfheartedly, Rin heaved a gusty sigh and he knew that wasn't the response she was expecting to hear. _I indulge this girl too much_. If Sesshomaru ever provided any further explanation it was Rin's benefit. That was all. "Anything worth obtaining is worth the effort of doing it yourself, Rin. Take it, train it, weld it inseparably to yourself. Do what it takes to own it. Don't waste time on a wish." He watched Rin nod her comprehension. Good.

"So then," she said, coming to a stop Sesshomaru found rather unsettling. "I will not wish for my autonomy any longer. Lord Sesshomaru, I want to travel on my own and I ask only your approbation."

"No." He sidestepped her like a bump in the road and continued their trek.

Rin trotted up to block his path again. "Why?"

Sesshomaru paused, but said no more on the matter.

"You think I'm naïve, is that it? That I'm still such a child. But only because you keep me so!"

Patiently, Sesshomaru tolerated the outburst. They'd been through this before. "Get safe and settled first."

Rin's hands clenched at her sides as she defiantly stood her ground. "But I don't want to depend upon a man for the rest of my life!"

Sesshomaru frowned. This was the influence Inuyasha's woman no doubt. Some ridiculous, futuristic blather.

Thinking fast, Rin rephrased her words. "Don't you want me to be self-sufficient?"

Sesshomaru's mouth closed with an audible click of his teeth. She had him there. He had Rin getting her own food since she was smaller than Tenseiga. The weak perished, especially in these warring times.

Dark brown eyes lit up. "How about a negotiation?"

"Hm?" Sesshomaru cocked his head giving a sharp view of the line of his jaw. He was listening.

"If I can prove that I can take care of myself, that I can hold my own, I get to go wherever I want."

"And how would you prove that?" he challenged. "I can't go rescuing you at every misfortune."

Jutting out her chin, Rin dared to look him in the eye. Rarely was Sesshomaru past the point of reason. "A match will decide to whom I go."

Silver brows rose high enough to disappear under pale bangs. Then Sesshomaru's expression resumed its usual composure, along with some cocksure. His mouth twitched and his eyes glowed in a condescending smirk.

_He's laughing at me. Fine. I'll show him._ "I mean it." Rin bowed half ways, keeping her eyes trained on Sesshomaru. Amused with her severity, he was nonetheless impressed by her determination. With a slight bow from the shoulders, the daiyokai returned the girl's obsequy.

As usual, their walk ended at the edge of Rin's village a short while later.

Delicately, Sesshomaru reset the comb, then turned to leave. He stopped as a little hand gently squeezed his clawtips.

"Thank you." Rin beamed gratefully up at him. He didn't think it was entirely for the comb either.

On his way once more, the daiyokai gave one of his noncommittal shrugs. Saying "just try" seemed a little too discouraging.

oOo

After Sesshomaru left, Rin detoured around the first couple of the rice paddies before dashing back to the stream. Feeling just a little foolish, she excited patted the waters. "Kichiruka! Hey, if you're still here please come out now."

Steely-gray, spiked hair sprouted from the brook. Then came the rest of the aquatic yokai. He smiled broadly, flashing small, white teeth. "Yes?"

Rin grinned back. "I have my wish!"

.

_A/N: And, to give readers a little visual of my OC, here's some concept art of Kichiruka: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/art/Hooked-Kichiruka-163133558 Please remove spaces before use._


	9. Caviar Emptor

**Caviar Emptor**

"So what's it gonna be?" Kichiruka floated backwards in the stream's current until he reclined against a protruding rock, his arms spread magnanimously. The conch staff dangling loosely from his fingertips, a lazy smile stretched across the demon's face. "Wealth? Power? Immortality?"

"No, no, no." Rin waved her hand as if swatting away the suggestions. Pulling herself together, she tucked a loose lock behind one ear. "I –"

"Hey, nice comb!" Kichiruka brightened as he leaned forward in interest. "Did the priestess give that to you?"

Thrown by the desultory comment, Rin absentmindedly readjusted Sesshomaru's latest gift. "Actually, it's from...my guardian."

"Guardian?"

"When I didn't have any family, he was there," Rin explained. With a warm smile, she spoke more to herself than anyone else. "And he's always been ever since."

Cerulean eyes softened. "That must be nice."

"Yeah…" Guilt suddenly jabbed at Rin as she reconsidered the wish she just had in mind. After he'd finally agreed to a compromise – _even if it is a little unrealistic_ – it almost seemed like betraying Lord Sesshomaru. To him, being independent meant being accountable and proving it. _But I am taking matters into my own hands._ And Rin still felt like she hadn't earned it.

"You're not having second thoughts again, are you?" Kichiruka groaned in exasperation. "Come on already!"

"Ease up! I do, too, have my wish!" Rin retorted. _It's now or never! Lord Sesshomaru will understand. It's not like it's such a big deal anyway_. Clearing her throat, she declared in a loud voice, "I want to fly." Sitting up on her knees straighter, Rin bravely lifted her chin, waiting for Kichiruka's magic to take hold and bestow whatever mighty powers it had to offer. Would she notice the change at first? Would it tingle? Would it hurt? She braced herself. And waited. Nothing tingled and nothing hurt. When the girl realized _nothing_ had happened, she looked down.

Kichiruka blinked, the universal _huh?_

"You know, _fly?_" Rin fanned her hands, crossing them at the wrists and beating them like wings.

"I _know_ what the word means," the yokai returned with a snort. "I've seen gulls, for cryin' out loud! I just…umm…." His eyes closed, he offered only a toothy grin, showing off pointed rows of small, pearly teeth. As empty palms turn upward Rin got the hint.

"You can't grant that, can you?" she drawled irritably.

The grin widened while skinny eyebrows drew together. "Sorry."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Rin asked aloud, "Then what _can_ you do?"

"Hey, I said it has to be within reason," Kichiruka countered defensively. "I'm a water demon, remember?" He thumped his conch staff against the bank for emphasis. "What makes you think I'm at all familiar with the mechanics of flight? I gotta know how to do something in order to grant it. I mean, let's be real here."

"All right! Fine!" _Now how can I actually go anywhere? He's probably not going to give me any extra time…_ Trying to clear her thoughts, Rin roughly raked her hands through her bangs. Then felt something heavy slide down her arm and plunk in the brook. _My comb!_

Swept up in the current, it sailed downstream, its carved flower bobbing over and under the surface and getting carried ever closer to the quickening rapids. Rin grabbed uselessly at the water, her arm outstretched. "No!"

As if on cue, Kichiruka popped up in front of the comb, scooping up the tiny treasure. No sooner did Rin see him dive again did the water yokai resurface right beside her, several meters away from his last location a second ago.

"Here ya go!" He presented it from cupped hands.

Stupefied, Rin dumbly reached for the comb. Suddenly, Kichiruka drew it back. "Wait a sec." Waving a hand over the comb, his expression darkened and he muttered a soft incantation. Something glinted between Kichiruka's palm and the ivory hairpiece, then he returned it to Rin. "There. All dry."

"Thank you," Rin managed, still registering everything she'd seen. _He said he could do that because he's water. Well, I don't have to travel through the air. _When she was done reaffixing the comb, Rin had her amended wish. "Okay, if you can't grant flight, then I want to do what you do. To…teleport, I guess, through water."

Kichiruka tugged at one of the fin-like tines on his head. "You sure?"

Rin sighed. "Is that too much for you?"

The yokai tilted his head, looking at Rin askance. Then, before she could do anything, Kichiruka reached out a finger over the bank and poked her stomach. "Hm…squishy…"

"What the hell?" Rin whacked away his intrusion lest he prod any higher.

His hand retracted, but the blue eyes remained clear and unabashed. "It feels like you're part water, too," he announced. "I guess I could make it work." Kichiruka pulled the short conch staff from his side and tapped the shell thoughtfully against his chin. Rin watched his eyes stare skyward, then roll back and forth to either corner like he was calculating something. Finally, after a miniature eternity, Kichiruka gave her his full attention again. "If anything goes wrong, are you going to come back and haunt me afterwards?"

Rin's jaw dropped into her chest. "What?"

"Hey! It's just a caveat. Ne'r mind. I think I can pull it off. All right, hold out your hands like this." Slipping the staff back into his sash, under his short jacket, he demonstrated by reaching out and fanning his own fingers. Rin looked at him funny. "Something wrong?" Kichiruka examined his own hands, then glanced back at Rin. She eyed the webbing between his fingers. It wasn't that bad, really, it didn't even go past his first finger joint anymore. "I'm working on it, okay?"

"Oh!" Rin gasped, shaken from her study. "No, I didn't mean to offend you. I've just never seen a water demon up-close before. I didn't think there would be different…designs." Gently, she laced her small hands with his larger ones. "Please, continue."

In a rare moment of solemnity, Kichiruka nodded and, with Rin's permission, proceeded to grant her wish.

A soft sigh and eyelids that fluttered shut were Rin's only warnings. Suddenly, relaxed claws that were intertwined with her little human fingers clamped into a vice grip. She wasn't going anywhere. Kichiruka's voice dropped into a strange baritone as he droned out a chant that didn't quite sound like any language Rin had heard but a weird series of clicks and gurgles. Rin knew that when yokai straddled the point of transformation it was rarely a pretty sight. Lord Sesshomaru had never been an exception, but at least she knew what to expect and when. She hadn't planned on watching Kichiruka's face split from the corners of his mouth up to his ears, giving her a panoramic view of how far back those sharp, little teeth ran. Then, eyes snapping open, his pupils were lost in a sea of blue so he looked blind. _And feral_.

The chant picked up pace and claws squeezed tighter; not quite painful, but the motion was unnerving. A chill raced up Rin's back, wracking her shoulders and rising off her scalp. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. What if Kichiruka really was some kind of soul-devouring river monster in disguise?

His gaze unwavering, a high cackle scaled its way out of the demon's throat.

Rin wanted to scream, but her voice wasn't working anymore. And it felt like every joint in her body had been frozen in place. She couldn't run. _Lord Sesshomaru…?_

Totally oblivious to the young woman mutely freaking out in his grip, Kichiruka kept his focus very well. His master would've been proud to see such concentration with this particularly complicated incantation. He hadn't missed a syllable yet, even in the gaze of Rin's pretty, brown eyes. Actually, they reminded him a lot of silt at the bottom of creeks. The kind you could run your hands through and know it wouldn't cake and crust like mud. Soft, cool, and welcoming…

"Uh-oh…"

Rin felt the webbed claws suddenly go lax. She exhaled in relief as Kichiruka's face flickered back to its usual countenance. Then she processed what her spellcaster had just murmured. "Whaddya mean 'uh-oh'?"

Kichiruka chuckled, drawing away and distancing himself somewhat. "I just forgot where I left off." He laughed idiotically. "Do over!"

_If you want something done right…_Rin wished she could reach over and smack the water yokai. Instead, she slapped a hand over her eyes. Much to her chagrin, Lord Sesshomaru was being proved correct.

_Like always._

.

_A/N: More to come! Reviews always appreciated!_


	10. Flop

**Flop**

As before, the demon's hands clamped around her own, but again without any true pain. _Just a lot of discomfort with that weird face he's making._ It wasn't until the final click of Kichiruka's incantation resonated in her ear that Rin felt the spell's effects. Though her hands had gone numb in his slick, cold grip, a smaller lightening jolted up the girl's arms through her nose, making the hairs on her head stand at attention. _It's like eating a bite of wasabi._ A second wave seared her nerves. _All at once!_ Then the spine-tingling sensation dwindled to nothing.

Rin peeped one eye open. "And that's all?"

"What else were you expecting?" Kichiruka gasped, breaking his hold and sliding back into deeper water. His breath came in ragged shudders and he wrapped his arms around the brook's central rock for support.

"Are you okay?" Rin edged closer to the bank. Did stuff like this take something out of water yokai?

Kichiruka nodded weakly. "Just…gimme a sec." Rin watched with keen interest as the demon gradually reconstructed his composure. She knew what whipping up a blank mask looked like, but this slow-motion exhibition was something else. Even though his head was slumped so the long, gray bangs hid his face from view, Kichiruka's whole body nuanced every expression. Shoulders straightened and claws flexed as he collected himself. His chest puffed as he inhaled deeply. When dull eyes blinked back to their usual sparkling sapphire, Kichiruka turned to address his audience with a winsome smile. "All right, lemme show you how this works. Get undressed. Ow!"

Rin picked up a second rock. "Come again?"

Kichiruka rubbed the quickly swelling lump on his head. He was already recovered so it didn't really hurt. Judging by Rin's reaction, she figured that out, too. Either that or she really liked staying dressed. "Well, it's not like your clothes are water," he tried to explain. "It makes things less complicated if you just go in without any hindrances."

"And how do you manage otherwise? You're all decked out in your fancy getup." Rin countered, gesturing to his layered clothing.

"I'm yokai. It's different when it's part of your whole guise."

"And your seashell staff thing?"

"It's special," he said matter-of-factly.

Rin chewed her lip. "Will it make any difference if I just remove the top layer?"

Shoulders rolled in a careless shrug. "It helps."

If I get this right the first time, I can practice at a more…complicated level later. Determinedly pushing back the ivory comb in her hair, Rin hoped she sounded braver than she felt when she spoke. "Could you turn around for a bit?" She made a spinning motion with her hand.

"Why?" Kichiruka asked. "If I'm going to show you what to do I'm going to see you anyway." But Rin's brows knit together in a silent plea and he did as told. For whatever reason, the odd request seemed to make her feel more comfortable.

Stripped down to her undergarments, Rin carefully folded the silky second layer and set it aside. Then she stepped into the stream's gentle current, the water's chill making goosebumps and more pucker. Self-consciously, the young woman crossed her arms over her chest.

Kichiruka just tilted his head from one side to the other as if listening to some metronome in his head, probably wondering what was taking so long. "Can I turn around now?"

"All right. Fine." _He's a water-fish-creature, or something, yokai,_ Rin assured herself. _And if he just learned how to construct a human body, it's not like he knows what to get turned on about_.

Slipping his arms around her waist, Kichiruka pulled Rin close until she was flush with him. "Wow, a pretty girl up close!"

_Wonderful_. "I thought you'd never met humans before." She twisted around to look at the spotted face with its idiotic grin. "Since when do you know what attractive ones look like?"

"Don't need to," Kichiruka said simply, eyes twinkling. "It's the same for everyone: health, proportions, symmetry. And you fit perfectly!" The water demon squeezed Rin in a bubbling embrace, demonstrating the ease with which she fit in his arms, tucked under his chin.

Much to her chagrin, Rin felt a blush creeping up her throat. _No. Ew. Random yokai. No._ Putting some space between them with the blunt of her elbow, Rin grumbled an annoyed "Do you mind?"

Kichiruka's hug loosened. "Humans don't like to be touched?"

"_I_ don't like to be groped!"

Blue eyes blinked innocently. "Groped?" He shook out his arms on either side of him. "So what are these things good for if you can't hold other people with it?"

Rin reached up to touch the comb in her hair, taken aback by the water demon's sudden sentiment. "Well…not strangers or new acquaintances. You have to know them personally."

"Like family?"

"Yeah."

"Oh…" Kichiruka's shoulders drooped. "Do you ever get to hug the miko or your guardian?"

"One more than the other," Rin chuckled. Then she noticed that Kichiruka still wore an unusually sober expression. Actually, it's more like an absence of feeling. He didn't frown and his brows didn't draw together like with normal, human expressions. He just flat-out stopped. _Is he…sad?_ But before she could make any inquiries, the demon crossed his arms and started doling out directions.

"First, you have to be completely submerged," Kichiruka explained. "But the real trick is that you have to know exactly where you're going."

_He certainly isn't lingering on it._ "Like precisely?"

Silver bangs swished in a grave nod. "You had better be very familiar with wherever you're going if you want to get your whole self over."

Rin gulped. _Whole self?_ "So there's a chance not all of me will make it over?"

The pearly-toothed smile returned. "Hey, it's you who didn't want to get naked."

"When were we even talking about that?"

"Close your eyes and breathe through your nose," Kichiruka instructed in serious tones again.

Rin did as told, though at first she peeked through her lashes. _Just in case he pulls anything._

"Relax," the yokai gently encouraged, minding his own space. "Water isn't a solid. Flow with it. And visualize where you want to go."

After taking a few deep breaths, Rin did feel the tension start to leave her muscles. The exercise was rather calming…until she was swiftly dunked into the brook.

_I'm being held down._ As she fought to breathe, Kichiruka's instructions came to mind. _Relax and think: those cattails over there._

Then for a split-second, Rin felt the water around her swirl away, like it wasn't there anymore. _Just me and open air…or something._ Suddenly the water came rushing back. Without wasting another second, she stood up. A tall cattail pricked her nose, drawing out a triumphant giggle. "It worked!"

Just a little ways down the stream, Kichiruka cheered. _Success! She didn't fall apart!_

Rin dove under again and in the next heartbeat she was back in front of Kichiruka. A quick glance at all ten fingers assured her she was all there. "This is amazing! Thank you!"

And suddenly Rin's arms were around his waist, squeezing him close to her soft, warm body. _Um, now what am I supposed to do?_ His hands grazing just the tops of her shoulders, Kichiruka was confused. Maybe it was okay only if human females embraced you first?

Before he could test the theory, Rin broke her hold and resumed her personal distance. "Thank you," she repeated.

The shimmer in her gentle eyes brought a smile to Kichiruka. "My pleasure," he said, coupled with a courtly bow.

The gesture made Rin remember that this water demon didn't just fall out of the sky. He had a home somewhere back out in the ocean with an important position to fill; though, with a half-smile, Rin hoped no one bet their lives where Kichiruka was concerned. As klutzy and touchy-feely as he was, a little piece of her mourned that this was probably their meeting. "Will you ever come back?"

Kichiruka shrugged noncommittally. "Eh, maybe. It was sorta interesting seeing the waters beyond the sea. I'll drop by in a little while. How 'bout another decade from now?"

Rin laughed. "You really have no clue about humans do you?"

"What? Is that a long time?" He tugged on his topknot. "Or too soon?"

Slipping a hand over her mouth, Rin barely stifled the next giggle. "If anyone complains about another ruined net I'll have found you."

Kichiruka smirked, then slogged deeper into the waters until the current swept past his chest. "Well, without further ado..." His farewell was lost as he dove back into the brook.

For the first time since she'd met him, Rin watched Kichiruka dip into the water and physically swim away, or at least glide away with the current since he didn't seem to put much effort into it. Either way, it was a change from his usual vanishing act. Vaguely, she wondered if it had anything to do with the new power she had just received.

_Maybe I simply notice it now. _

"Whatever!" Rin was delighted. _No, that's far too tame! I'm ecstatic!_ Once she got the hang of this trick, she could _go_ places. Scooping up the rest of her garments from the bank, she plunged back into the brook.

_The first rice pond to the east, _she thought, picturing the corner nearest the trees and its muddy edges overgrown with crabgrass. Again came the rush of emptiness followed by the sweep of water. Rin bobbed up easily, startling a frog off its lily pad. She giggled giddily, but clamped her mouth shut when she heard Kagome's voice chime somewhere nearby. Quickly, Rin scrambled out of the pond, muddying her bright kimono as she did so.

"Did you fall in?"

Drat. "No, erm, yes. Hi, Miss Kagome," Rin answered lamely. _Well, Kichiruka always manages to come out dry those couple of times when he climbed out of the brook._ Rin stood now clear of the pond, but nothing more happened. Her soggy clothes still clung to her skin, heavy and reeking of pond water. With Kagome staring quizzically at her.

_Maybe it just takes some practice._ "I'm fine, really," she insisted, plucking off a stray leech.

Keeping close to her friend's side, Kagome walked Rin home. Maybe it's a phase.

What the priestess didn't know was that this new "phase" involved frequent practice. And whenever she had a free moment, Rin did just that. Sango's twin daughters were nearly old enough to look after their own siblings now and all Rin needed were a few minutes here and there. By the time Kohaku and Miyoko returned a couple days later, she was feeling quite proficient in her new technique, often fighting the urge to run off and share it with someone.

_But I can't have them go blabbing about it. Not that I'm doing such a great job myself._ On more than one occasion she had to explain to a few inquiries why she was so frequently now "falling in by accident."

_And I'm still not getting dry._ No matter how much Rin focused on a "drying technique" – _or at least just damp_ – it never took. Which didn't make it any easier in negating attention.

_Did Kichiruka do something wrong?_

oOo

It had only been a week since he last visited Rin's village and Sesshomaru was somewhat discomfited to return to a human settlement in such close proximity. But the interest to know if she had taken any pains to improve herself outweighed the dog-demon's general reserve.

_Because I just have to know_. Sesshomaru inwardly grimaced at the idea came back to haunt him. _But this is entirely for her benefit._ As much as he feared for her safety, the daiyokai wanted to see his little charge fend for herself. Get established. Be strong.

Even when she was no bigger than the sword that revived her, the girl-whelp had impressed Sesshomaru with her indomitable strength. Despite the trauma inflicted in her short life, she showed him compassion long before he even thought he was capable of it. And Sesshomaru had never made anyone smile before. Rin was the fresh air in his suffocating world of politics and pomp. At the end of the day it wasn't an heirloom, a groveling crowd, or even his cherished lineage that made Sesshomaru feel like royalty, but a small girl who trailed at his heels and awaited his return, reminding him he would be missed if he didn't.

Sesshomaru realized he had become his father in the strangest of ways, but he never knew dealing with a young adolescent could be so rife with worry. He couldn't even begin to list for Rin the mounting concerns he had for her independence. But time and again the daiyokai was pinned by a singular question: what mattered more? Rin's safety or her sovereignty? Sesshomaru scoffed at anyone who dared to limit his authority, so why did he expect any different from his own ward who grew up in a tiny human village? It seemed Rin didn't quite smile as much these days as she used to but a couple years ago. Unacceptable. Striped jaw set, Sesshomaru strode forward. If she wanted to seek her own happiness, Rin had to be strong enough for the journey.

Before he walked much farther, Jaken blurted the obvious. "Rin's here."

A light humming overtook the air and the dog-demon smelled the flowers long before he saw them. The bouquet in Rin's hands was as bright and beautiful as her smile. _Good news?_

As she approached their usual meeting place, Rin felt her smile widen, glad she hadn't ignored her hunch that Sesshomaru would drop by today. It never came down to prediction so much as just _knowing_. When she first started to gradually stay in Kaede's village, Sesshomaru drifted in and out nearly every day, not always to everyone's knowledge. As she grew older and more accustomed to his extended leaves, it wasn't so difficult anymore to manage without the daiyokai's constant supervision. And, while it contradicted her new-found ideals for independence, Rin still enjoyed Sesshomaru's protective company and his guarded affection. For years he was her constant, confidant, and care-giver. _You don't just overlook that_. Especially when Rin considered that the ever-traveling Western Lord probably wasn't used to committing to anything for so long without ulterior motives. It was such a plain gesture, but she wanted to throw her arms around Sesshomaru's neck, returning all that was simple and unconditional. Then, strangely, somber blue eyes came to mind, making Rin feel both lucky and guilty about the notion. She stopped a few paces short, instead presenting the wildflowers she'd brought.

Sesshomaru suppressed the impulse to accept the offering; now that he got a full view of her, he felt his heart sink for what he would have to do next.

Rin felt the amber gaze flick up and down her side. "What?"

"Fail," he pronounced. When Rin still stared blankly at him, the daiyokai clicked his claws over Bakusaiga's and Tenseiga's hilts in a sharp, reprimanding tattoo.

"Well?" Jaken snapped, replacing his own vacant expression with one of disdain. "What's your excuse whelp?"

"Oops." Sesshomaru had presented her with her first blade over a year ago and while it was understandable that she might not carry it where she felt safest, it was inexcusable that she leave the village without it at all. _Especially if I'm supposed to be responsible for myself._

Carefully wrapping claws around the flowers' stems, Sesshomaru spoke slowly. "Act like an adult, if you want to rise from the chaff at all." A bittersweet smell pricked the air as poison claws melted the colorful bouquet from the stems up. Abruptly, the fumes evaporated, and a single, orange gardenia remained. Dropping the mulch, Sesshomaru gave a slight smile as he returned the flower to Rin. "It takes time."

"But you're human so hurry it up," Jaken piped.

Sesshomaru punted his vassal aside. When he looked back at Rin his face was its usual phlegmatic expression. "Get to work." He made to leave.

"Actually, I have." Rin scooted in front of the dog-demon before he took another step. "Look, I'll show you why I don't need it."

Sesshomaru arched a skeptical brow. Why on earth was Rin wriggling down to her undergarments? "Are you ill, Rin?"

"No, no. Come see!" She plunked into the stream where she had first practiced with Kichiruka.

"Lord Sesshomaru doesn't have the time or the stomach to watch a human attend to personal hygiene!" Jaken squawked.

Rin ignored the imp, too worried as to why she didn't feel the right tug of transition. What was she doing wrong? _Maybe I'm too excited? Am I not focused enough?_ Resurfacing, she glanced up; Sesshomaru was walking away!

"Wait! I've been practicing!" she called.

"If you're going to swim it's going to involve more motion than just sitting underwater." The daiyokai's voice trailed with his increasing distance.

Rin smacked a hand over the water. _Now what's wrong?_

.

_A/N: It's a bit of a long chapter, so I hope you'll excuse the delay. Alas, a sentimental moment on my part: ever since I heard it, the song "Unconditional" by Jordan Pruitt always reminds me of Sesshomaru and Rin. Thank you for reading!_


	11. Koi

_A/N: Koi is Japanese for "carp," but like – all the other chapters in this story – it's a fishy play on words; in this case the English word "coy."_

**Koi**

Water was a very special element. It offered all the strength and support of a solid, but flowed around and over anything in its path. Stormy or stagnant, its moods may have only been rivaled by the wind itself. More tangible than cold, open atmosphere, water cradled all its denizens, creating an entirely separate dimension.

_Too bad it just slips right through your arms. _

With a sigh and the ocean current propelling him along, Kichiruka loped easily through a capsized ship, weaving through the splintered holes in the damaged hull. It was large and majestic, probably a noble's cruiser, but its once lavish features now lay in ruin. Not that Kichiruka minded. He had a special quarters furnished for him elsewhere, but since he'd arrived in these waters, the demon had preferred this old vessel above all else. Its dark and dilapidated exterior belied the inside's lost treasures, forgotten relics, and glowing phosphate. There was nothing else like it, and the long-since abandoned derelict stirred a particular sentiment from its sole occupant.

_Even if it is a little out of the ways. _

He froze for a second. An unfamiliar shadow lurked among the deck's poles. Slipping behind a wall of coral, Kichiruka peered from the barricade. The silhouette's lean frame was lengthened by the piscine tailfin that slowly lashed from one side to the other as it hovered in place. The sail on the figure's head was plain enough, sticking straight up and fanning out like a mohawk; but if he squinted, Kichiruka could make out a distinctive needle nose.

"Master Tensai!" Kichiruka called cheerfully, eagerly zipping forward. "To what honor do I owe this unexpected vis—"

"Idiot." The older demon jabbed his lanced nose inches from his pupil's face. "You think I don't know when you've done something stupid? That I didn't feel the lapse in your aura when you returned?"

Coming to a dead halt, Kichiruka canted his head to one side. He honestly had no idea what this reprimand was about, but he knew one did _not_ give Tensai a blank stare. Dutifully, he clutched the conch staff and postured smartly. "I swear it won't happen again."

"It had better not." Tensai drifted to a dimly lit corner of the hull, casually studying the arrangement of some barnacles. "If you had given it over to a demon – even a halfling, considering your burgeoning experience – you would never have gotten it back."

Kichiruka frowned and nodded seriously, still not sure where this was going.

"I had my doubts when Lord Ichikawa unexpectedly requested your presence last evening. Do you realize that if you had arrived any slower it would have been my neck on the line? Do you? No, of course not! There you are making no use of the technique I perfected for you. Why? Because you gave it away to heaven knows where! And let yourself be reduced to simple swimming like everyone else. What for?"

Kichiruka thought back, trying to remember why he had resumed the habit again. The idea of it being for some other benefit vaguely came to mind…

"Gods, why did you do something so foolish?" Tensai's tirade was rising to its thundering crescendo as the sail on his head flushed a deeper blue. "If Ichikawa didn't see your potential I would have expelled your hide a long time ago! Does my technique, _my art_, mean that little to you?"

Kichiruka's stony façade faltered as he finally realized what his instructor was ranting about. "Master Tensai, teleportation is a technique I've worked hard for. I wouldn't –"

"Then why?" Tensai's open claws trembled in supplication before Kichiruka. "Why would you just give it away?"

Hands flying up defensively, the junior demon declared, "But I didn't! Teleportation is not just anything I'd freely give to another creature even if they wished f – _Rin__!"_

oOo

Kichiruka hadn't expected Rin to be sitting right where they'd last met. That she was at their usual rendezvous made him wonder if she was already anticipating his return. Calm and serene, with her fishing basket beside her she looked much like did that first day he ran into her. If nothing was wrong maybe he had done something right for once. Feeling his pulse do a little flip-flop, Kichiruka paddled up to the girl.

"Your spell flopped," Rin said dryly, her face remaining carefully blank.

_Uh-oh._ Kichiruka fidgeted in the brook's tranquil current. "It was working fine when I watched you practice…"

"And why did I come out all soggy?"

_Oh, is that all? _"Uh…because you were in the water?" he replied, hoping that was the answer.

"I know that, stupid. I mean, when I left the stream why didn't I dry out?"

"Did you try standing in the sun?"

Massaging her temples in measured, circular motions, Rin counted backwards from ten. Kichiruka recognized it as something Master Tensai did on occasion. It wasn't a good sign. Then Rin opened her eyes and continued in a slow, even tone, "Whenever you come out of the water you're perfectly dry, right?"

"Well, technically, no. My body coats itself in a liquid film that preserves…" – Rin's searing glare intensified – "Yes, my clothes are dry."

"So when you did the spell you conveniently left that out," she accused.

"No!" Kichiruka huffed indignantly. "I gave you the power you asked for. Aquatic teleportation. Drying is something else! I told you I'm not a daiyokai here! Everything I do I _learn_. My spells are all separate of each other. Drying being a completely different incantation compared to teleportation."

Rin thought about it for minute, then remembered how he paused to dry her comb that one time. "Okay. I can live with that, but why did the power I wish for suddenly disappear at a crucial moment?"

Kichiruka's eyes widened. "You weren't in quicksand, were you? Oof!"

Rin crackled her knuckles. "Fortunately for you, no. I'm here, aren't I? Now what the hell happened?"

An uneasy chuckle jittered its way out of Kichiruka. "Well, you didn't expect wishes just to come from anywhere, now did you? Everything has to come from someplace…in this case, me."

"So you let me borrow a power that's actually yours?"

"Yeah…sorta…" He smiled weakly. "Actually, I kinda forgot…"

Rin's brow twitched, but she calmly pressed on to ascertain her hypothesis. "And when you needed to use it again it returned right back to you, the original owner."

"Ah, so you do understand! Phew! I thought you'd be – "

She clobbered Kichiruka with her fishing basket in a rapid succession of furious whacks. The basket was light and empty, but fast to get her point across. Rin didn't stop until the last strike swished through the air and only connected with water.

"That's a rip off! Do you know how foolish you made me look?" Rin craned her neck to glower at him from afar. "Do over."

"Hey, you got your wish!" Kichiruka called from a safer distance. "And you were complaining about how it wasn't working out anyway."

"You never warned it would work out like that." Then, she stubbornly insisted again, "Do over."

Kichiruka chuckled. "You're kinda spoiled, you know that?"

"Don't lecture me," Rin shot back. "It was your offer to grant a wish in the first place."

"You want an entirely new wish?" He resurfaced closer to the irate village girl, albeit _behind_ the flat stone in the brook. "Like what?"

"Well…" Rin wasn't sure. _Too bad you can't just wish for maturity. _But she certainly didn't want to wind up with Kichiruka's! "I'll think of something else."

"Ri-ight. In the next month? You think I'm going to keep leaving my ocean for that?" Kichiruka scrambled up to perch on the rock. Then teetered from one side to the other. He didn't plunge gracelessly into the water, but it was obvious he made the sudden loss of balance look intentional.

An ivory comb was reset thoughtfully in raven tresses. "Do you even know how to use that body?"

"Why?" Kichiruka's pointed ears flexed, and he smiled devilishly at Rin. "Wanna find out?"

"Ech, perv!" She waved a hand in his direction. "You wish!"

"No, I grant," he corrected with a wide, toothy grin.

_Great, I've found the yokai version of Miroku._ Rin rolled her eyes. "Seriously, though. I haven't seen you even set foot outside your little pond."

" 'Cause I don't need to," Kichiruka pouted, crossing his arms.

Rin thought about the last time she had seen water demon out of his element. About a couple of weeks ago now. And as she recalled it, he was pretty clumsy to boot, doddering on stiff knees and losing his balance in the middle of "acrobatic feats." She snickered.

"What's so funny?" Kichiruka frowned.

"You haven't been practicing walking, have you?"

Eyes narrowed to ice-blue chips.

Rin toyed with the loose end of her basket. "And you're not very good either, huh?"

"What's your point? I'm _water_, I don't need to scuttle around on the dirt like a bottom-feeder when I can drift through my element."

"But obviously you had to learn that human guise for a reason, right?" Kichiruka's expression darkened and Rin's smile brightened. "Aha! So you _are_ expected to walk!"

Sinking until only his eyes peeked from the water's surface, the demon sullenly gurgled. "And what are _you_ gonna do about it?"

Rin trailed her fingers through the water, a half-smile lurking in the corner of her mouth. "Let's make a bargain: if I teach you how to walk, you'll grant me another wish in place of the last one that flopped."

Kichiruka tugged on one of the bangs springing beside his cheek. There really wasn't much to think about. Rin had made him a fair offer. And she didn't look like the type who would laugh at him if he screwed up. Hopefully. "Fine."

Rin smiled like she'd just sealed a business negotiation. Her eyes giving a high lofty gaze. _Lord Sesshomaru would be proud._ Then she glanced at the late afternoon sun. "Look, I've still got a lot of chores to do before the day's over, so do you want to pick this up – "

"Tomorrow," Kichiruka hastily interjected.

Rin nodded and the two exchanged a look of mutual agreement.

_Let's just get this over with._

.

_A/N: New(!) character sketches and expressions available here: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d2qwo6d and feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d2qwnfq (please remove spaces before use)._

_Due to quarter final exams "Hooked" is going on a short hiatus and will resume June 14th. Thank you for reading! Reviews are most appreciated as I like to know how this story is going since it's just getting started (and I always do my best to reply!). Thanks! _


	12. Fish Out of Water

_A/N: And we're back!_

**Fish Out of Water**

Rin smiled at the periwinkle, pearly-skied morning, appreciatively nodding toward the east and soaking up the quiet, predawn calm. While this twilit time was on the early side, she savored the rosy hours when only a few people crept from their huts, leaving the start of a new day mostly to herself. Rin preferred these mornings over dark, shadowy nights, simply because you could just do more in the day if you got up early enough. _No point in staying up late if you can't see in the dark. _Today, she rose just a little extra early to get her chores out of the way. Knotting the bow at the small of her back, Rin patted her work clothes into place and set to her morning tasks.

From the entrance to the hens' coop, Rin could spy the steadily expanding house behind it. Kohaku wasn't joking when he remarked that his sister's home was getting very crowded. Over the years, Miroku's home had gone from a modest hut like anyone else's to a small mansion to accommodate his growing family. But the monk was keen not to let parsimony come before public relations and freely shared his good fortune with the local residents who in turn looked the other way that their neighbor's house sported fluted shingles instead of the common thatched roof.

With the ease of habit, Rin reached under a fat, brown chicken, ignoring its clucking protests. _Even if it's mostly the same routine, a lot has changed since I was small._

Without Kaede to supervise, this past winter had marked Rin's official transition as a professional midwife. _Not that there's too much business in that field at the moment_. For now there were only two women expecting in the village and Sango, the more advanced between the ladies, wasn't due for well over another month or two.

_Number five…I'll have to be around for that. _

By mid-morning, Rin wrapped up the last of her daily chores and returned to the hut she had once shared with the late priestess. Although it wasn't anything large, it had a planked floor and a cozy, welcoming ambiance that denied no entreaty. On the side where she kept a small chest, Rin carefully folded her work clothes away and searched for something lighter and more colorful. Distractedly, she took a moment to finger the golden butterflies that embroidered one bright blue kimono. For a reason, she couldn't quite place it reminded her of something. _This one, then_. Just as Rin was about to head out, a familiar admonition reverberated in memory. She crossed back over to the other side of her home and uncovered the delicately wrapped length of the blade Sesshomaru presented to her last year.

Twice Rin had to rework the knots on the scabbard until she tied it just right into her obi. The iron weighed heavily at her side, throwing her gait off balance. Rin hoped it wasn't so painfully apparent how unused she was to wearing a sword. It felt unneeded, unnatural, and…clunky.

_But if I want to hold my own..._The amber disapproval glinted freshly in her mind, and she tied the wooden sheath all the more secure. Lost in contemplation as she set off, Rin started when she bumped into a flashing set of golden eyes.

_Lord Sesshomaru?_

"An' where d'ya think you're going, kiddo?" Dog ears quivered and flexed quizzically.

"For a walk," Rin answered simply. She wished Inuyasha would stop referring to her as "kid." They practically looked the same age. _It was one thing when I was younger, but I swear if he starts getting as protective as his brother…_

Inuyasha eyed the sword at the girl's side. "Is he pushing you that hard?"

Rin drew herself up to her full height and, in a tone that brooked no debate, declared, "I have to become strong on my own because I want to be." Then, scanning his expression as if looking for some approbation, she added, "You understand that, don't you?"

With a huff and a side-step, the hanyo excused her from his scrutiny. But a second thought made him call after her. "Hey, kid!" Inuyasha's voice pitched with a note of concern. "Don't go lookin' f'trouble just 'cause you've got somethin' t'prove…An' don't smile and wave me off like that either!"

Rin's parting grin widened at the retort. Lord Sesshomaru placed accountability for one's person first. _Check. And now I can deal with the other responsibilities for today, too. _

oOo

"You're late," Kichiruka observed lightly, hugging the bank with his chin resting on his crossed arms.

"How long have you been waiting?" asked Rin, glancing at the sun. It was barely the hour of the boar, not quite yet noon.

"Since dawn." He quirked his head to one side. "I figured that humans weren't nocturnal since I've only see you here during the day. Are humans not early-risers either?"

"No, I was just finishing up my work during the morning…um, anyway…" While Kichiruka fixed drowning cerulean eyes on her, Rin realized what made her unconsciously pick out the bright blue kimono she wore. _Eh, spending just a little too much time around him now._ Nothing for it, she smoothed the skirted length down and knelt by the bank, unsure of what to do next. _If he's supposed to learn how to walk today, am I obliged to help him out first? _But before she voice her question, Kichiruka posed one of his own.

"So you live in that village?" He nodded in the general direction behind Rin.

"You make it sound unusual."

"A little…I mean, I visited once and there you were, but you dress like the daughter of a noble's house, not some peasant's."

"I was born to 'some peasant,'" Rin said and not without an ounce of umbrage.

"Hey, hey, no offense intended." Kichiruka's hands flew up and his fingers laced protectively through the spikes on his head. "So…your apparel must be provided by your guardian?"

Rin curtly nodded. "Yes."

Kichiruka glanced a ways down the brook, remembering how Rin once said that her caregiver assumed the role of family when she had none, and felt a pang of sympathy. _Was she, too, an orphan?_ But Rin's brows scrunched together, so he decided not to press the subject, instead addressing the second topic on his mind. "Must be pretty rich, but why are you living here then?" The words were out before Kichiruka could censor himself. Watching Rin's knees shift and her gaze fall, he knew he'd made her uncomfortable.

"A couple of reasons," Rin replied. "He has a very dangerous lifestyle. And it's best I grew up with humans."

"As opposed to what? Yokai?"

Rin nodded.

Kichiruka mouthed a silent "wow." "He's a demon? What a wealth of experience this must have afforded you!"

"To an extent." It seemed that when Rin was younger, she had a world of opportunity before her. Lord Sesshomaru said she could do as she wished. He let her know that she had options and every day she had choices. Like back then he understood that children were people trapped by the decisions adults made for them. Now, it seemed as she got older her alternatives lessened. Do this, do that, and no, you're not ready yet.

"An' you didn't have one of these with you last time." Kichiruka tapped a claw to the tip of her sword's hilt.

"Yeah, yeah, so are you ready to start practicing?"

Kichiruka's gaze flicked nervously back to the sword.

Rin sighed. "I'm not going to use it on you, silly! Now, are you going to learn to walk or not?"

"Yeah…" But his voice came out small, like a child's. The moment Kichiruka had been dreading was at hand_. Now or never_. Smacking the conch staff into the water, he vaulted out of the little river and onto the land, skidding and slipping on the slick grass until slid to a stop some feet away from his coach.

Getting up, Rin strolled over to where the water demon lay sprawled on his stomach. _He's yokai, so he should be fine. _

"I landed on my staff," he winced.

Rin blinked, not sure how to interpret _that_. Then Kichiruka reached under himself and pulled out the spiked conch staff, its sharp, orange tines glinting wickedly in the sunlight.

_Oh…ouch. _

Seeing his full form for only the second time, Rin noticed how his gray hakama matched the color of his short jacket and, incidentally, his hair. They stopped just below the knee, tucked into cobalt blue leggings the same hue as the background for his clamshell-decorated kimono. The bare feet that stuck out at the end were dappled in dark blotches like the rest of him.

Gracelessly, Kichiruka flipped on his back…landing again on the conch staff with a loud _"Yow!"_

"Need help getting up?" Rin offered.

"No, I can do it," he insisted. Gritting his teeth, Kichiruka lurched on to the conch staff like a crutch. This body was meant to be compatible with the terrain, he reminded himself. By logic, he should be able to at least stand in it. He got as far as a hunched posture, then, like kelp in an undertow, the water demon's legs gave and he flopped back down on his stomach, the staff clunking off his head.

Kichiruka swore softly into the dirt. _Maybe just crawl then._

"What's the matter?" Rin asked more out of curiosity than mockery. "I thought you could at least stand."

"It's been a while," Kichiruka grunted. "The muscles have probably atrophied by now. For my kind, walking is one of those 'use it or lose it' skills, which is why so few of us ever come to the surface."

Rin carefully stepped around the sprawled out water sprite. "It might help if you bent your knees."

"All right, then." With a grunt that indicated no small amount of effort, Kichiruka drew his knees under himself until he was supported on all fours. _Yay, my big accomplishment for the day. _

"Is it painful?"

"Not really…just stiff," he said hoarsely around clenched teeth. _I'm not even s'posed to have limbs like these_. But when he looked up and saw that patient expression, the soft, brown eyes almost pleading for him to try again, Kichiruka knew he couldn't just quit here.

_"There's a reason you have a human form, right?"_

"Right," Rin heard Kichiruka say as if answering someone. She waved her hand under his chin. "Grab on."

The light eyes took a minute to register the offering and another to confirm. "I'm permitted?"

"Well don't make a project out of it," Rin huffed tersely.

His touch was cold and slick with some sort of film, but Rin noticed that the webbing between his fingers had receded a bit.

"I told you I was working on it." He grinned proudly. "Oh, wait a sec." Kichiruka clapped his hands together and muttered a soft chant. Rin watched in awe as the clothes straightened and dried. _Maybe that isn't such a bad power after all._

"Mm-kay, let's go!"

Crouched beside him so her sword hung on the opposite side, Rin threw a navy clad arm over her neck, holding on with one hand while the other wrapped around the waist of the water yokai. "All right, but you have to push with your legs as best you can. Got it?"

The spray of steely bangs bobbed with the demon's nod.

Where Kohaku was athletic, Kichiruka was of slighter build. The abbreviated haori, with its broad shoulders and voluminous breadth, only served to puff him out. _I can take 'im_, Rin wagered. "Okay, go ahead and lean on me just a – Whoa! Too much!" She nearly caved from the strain as the water sprite threw his whole weight on to her small frame. _Geez, he's heavy!_ "What'd you have for breakfast? Rocks?"

"Only the usual five or so for ballast. Why?"

Rin groaned as she figured he wasn't joking at all on that one. The girl was suddenly grateful for the sword's weight since it offset some of Kichiruka's. Within the minute they managed to stagger into a stance. Now for the more difficult objective: motion.

"Look, just focus on keeping your balance and matching one of my steps for your own. Can you do that?" Rin asked.

"Yup!"

"For sure?"

Kichiruka smiled.

_He's not_. "C'mon," she sighed.

Slowly, Kichiruka lifted one foot in time with Rin. It was pretty tough. She was used to these actions so alien to him and, deliberate as her steps were, Rin was still moving more quickly and fluidly than he could follow. Half of this walking stuff seemed innate. More than once, Rin had to remind him to set down his whole foot and not just his toe or heel if he didn't want to tip over.

Their progress was painstakingly slow, but, miraculously Rin didn't complain. Intermediately, she even gave praise when Kichiruka completed a series of steps without stumbling. _It's as if she's as focused on seeing this through as I am._ Taking heart, he plodded forward.

When the paces picked up, Rin started to loosen her hold. "Keep your back straight," she coached, nearly prepared to let go at any moment. Kichiruka noticed when she motioned to slip away and his confidence crumbled. "No, wait!" Claws scrabbled and legs went limp as the water demon lost all balance, dragging Rin down with him.

_Maybe he is just hopeless_. The human girl glanced over at her hapless companion, expecting to find a defeated look that mirrored own feelings. Instead, Kichiruka's laughter bubbled like a fountain, starting first in his shoulders until it rippled through the rest of him. Rin didn't see what was so particularly funny. He was doing so well one second and now they'd just crashed.

"In such situations, dear Rin, you either laugh or cry." Kichiruka's blue eyes danced with sparkling mirth.

Rin allotted him a smirk, but that was it. "Well, we can't just sit around either," she said in a business-like tone, then stood and scooped up his arm again. Kichiruka stood with her, hooking Rin back into the crook of his elbow where the short sleeves ended somewhere thereafter. Her grip shifted, making contact with the demon's bare forearm. The limb was solid enough, but whatever it was coated in felt like refined goop. Rin shirked back instantly, a surprised gasp escaping her. Without a second thought, she wiped her hand on the side of her kimono. Then regretted her action with equal intensity at the sight of Kichiruka's knitting brow.

"Rin," he said, modulating her name into a question. "Am I…slimy?"

The way Kichiruka phrased the question made it sound like someone had told him so before. _Well, he does feel just a little…icky,_ Rin admitted to herself. _But give the guy a break, if he's really not all that strong maybe his spells still need honing._ "Does your drying spell still need some work?"

"Uh, no. I was congratulated on perfecting it last autumn," Kichiruka answered, then saw where she was going. "I realized that this is my usual, ah, texture when I'm outside my element. It's like my body makes an effort to keep itself moist."

"O-Oh." Rin nodded her comprehension. _Ewwww…_

"But," – Kichiruka shrugged – "I guess it's no more gross than what you're doing right now."

"Huh?" Rin stopped dead in her tracks, bringing their walk to a sudden halt. "What's that s'posed to mean? What am I doing that makes me so disgusting?"

Holding up a claw-tipped finger to her forehead, he carefully gathered a bead of sweat into the cusp of his nail. "You're slimy, too. See?"

"That's perspiration!" Rin retorted, but Kichiruka wasn't paying attention anymore.

"Tee-hee, salty!" he chuckled, closing his eyes and licking finger clean. He glanced at Rin to find her staring. Still grinning, the oceanic yokai explained, "You taste like home."

_Guess that's a compliment in his world_. Awkwardly, Rin tried to half-smile. "Uh…thanks."

Kichiruka chuckled lightly in response. Maybe it was his chipper mood, but to Rin it seemed his steps enlivened considerably as they ambled along at a faster pace. A few steps more and Kichiruka's weight gradually lessened on his aide. Rin kept one arm encircled about his side, but her friend's paces were becoming more independent. _And confident_.

Suddenly, the conch staff set off a low thrum, hollow and deep as if someone were blowing in from one end. Stopping abruptly, the young demon's frame leaned back onto Rin, crushing a surprised _yerk_ out of her. Kichiruka uttered a quick apology before he brought the shelled end to his mouth. His jaws unhooking in that strange demonic fashion, he emitted a gurgle from the depths of his throat that popped and crackled. _It's certainly doesn't _sound _like a language._ Rin stared at the odd exchange.

"Tensai," Kichiruka groaned as his features reverted to normal and he slipped the staff into his sash again. "I'm needed back." Turning around to look at the brook, his expression lit up at the sight of distance, a testament to his progress.

"Okay, let's go." Rin sidled up under his shoulder, ready to help him back.

"No. It's all right." Kichiruka slipped his arm away, reaching out only once to steady himself. And slowly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and letting his knees bend and push himself forward, Kichiruka began to walk on his own. Just as he had tried before it became much easier as the momentum picked up.

Straightening to watch him go, Rin didn't realize what a difference Kichiruka's weight made until she tried to walk herself. Feeling the forgotten sword's load throw her off kilter anew, Rin staggered to one side, trying to regain her footing and only successful in treading over her lengthy kimono. A yelp followed by a stumble, Rin hopped in vain to keep from plopping gracelessly to the ground. _Eek, his clumsiness in contagious!_ And she laughed at the idea.

Kichiruka spun around at the commotion. "Oh! I didn't take your walking power, did I?" Trying to run over to the fallen girl's side, he defaulted to a stiff-kneed waddle. And tripped over his own ankles.

Rin laughed harder. Still trying to catch her breath, she crawled the short distance to where Kichiruka sprawled. She tried not to giggle at the earnest worry clouding his eyes.

"Will you get to walk again? I'm so sorry. I would never have –"

Rin pressed her palm over his babbling mouth to get in a sound word. "Walking isn't a magical power…for people," she corrected. "Now sit up."

Insisting on trying it out for himself, Kichiruka had to rock on his haunches for a minute before swinging himself upward. He tilted forward for second, but Rin pushed into him before he fell for the umpteenth time. Firmly, she steered him around in the proper direction. "Thatta way."

Although he started off at a slow shuffle again, Kichiruka picked up speed a bit quicker this time and guiding hands were able to slip away sooner.

Rin smiled at the spectacle. It reminded her of how children carried cups of tea they had filled to the brim, putting far too much concentration on each movement compared the casualness with which an adult acted. But either way… "You're walking!"

_All in the first day! He'll have this down in no time!_ Rin cheered.

Completing the last step to the bank, Kichiruka pivoted around, triumph glinting in his eyes. "I did it!" Then his spine gave funny jerk as he teetered to keep his balance. One foot kicking up over the other, Kichiruka toppled helplessly head over heels and splashed head-first into the brook.

_On second thought, this is going to take a lot of work. _Rin rolled her eyes skyward, but still had trouble keeping a smile at bay.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! More to come. _


	13. Red Snapper

_A/N: Before the introduction of mechanical clocks in Japan a common time system, especially in rural areas, was the Cat's Eye Clock, the namesake deriving from how a cat's pupil would dilate with the amount of sunlight and, thus, the time of day. The greatest changes were seen in, according to contemporary clocks, two hour spans. Thus, the Hour of the Rat lasted from 11 AM to 1 PM. For the sake of this story, if the Hour is capitalized like so then the system is being referenced as opposed to a modern "hour." Okay, history lesson's over. On with the show! _

**Red Snapper**

Mopping her sweaty hands on the sides of threadbare work clothes, Rin heaved an irritated huff. Although a few minutes were spared to wash up, she'd skipped changing just to be at the brook on time, arriving promptly at the Hour of the Rat. _Huh, and what a fruitful effort this is proving._ For someone who called her late just yesterday, Kichiruka wasn't very punctual the following morning.

Annoyance aside, Rin shrugged off the basket and pulled out the cleaning knife she had brought along. _May as well keep busy_. High spring was upon them now, summer just a couple weeks away, and the nets had required daily emptying each morning. _But yesterday was curiously low_, Rin remembered. Not that it mattered too much; for now they were well in abundance and it was expected an animal might plunder a net here or there. Although the snares had already been emptied by the time lone village girl passed by, it never hurt to double check. Her sword resting on the bank, Rin wadded into the brook and frisked the first net. _Nothin'_.

Collecting her blade and continuing the upstream trek, she wondered if Kichiruka would be able to find her. _He does seem just a little more geared to routine. Wonder if his sense of smell is better than a human's. Probably can't best an inu-yokai._ Her musings came to a dead halt when she rounded the bend.

The contrast between blue eyes and red scales drew Rin's eye right to the crux of the matter: Kichiruka. A fishtail still twitching in the corner of his mouth. Culprit. He blinked with all the innocence of a five-year-old caught in the pantry – a sight Rin had seen it too many times to be affected.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, rushing into the brook and snatching the net from its feasting poacher.

"Wha? Mm jub eatig," Kichiruka said around a mouthful of fish. He swallowed, then realized how poor his manners were. "I'm sorry, Rin dear. Did you want some?"

In the fury of the fearsome growl she unleashed, Kichiruka could've sworn he saw flames flicker in Rin's death glare. "You're _raiding_ my village's reserves," she snarled.

"O-oh...wups. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly. Then, like the brook he was standing in, his mouth started babbling faster than he could help. "I was kinda wondering why there were so many nets along this brook. Tell me, are there more than eight? I got too full to continue checking after that one yesterday."

Her last shred of patience hacked away, Rin smacked Kichiruka upside the head with her basket. He toppled into the small river with a satisfactory splash. Slogging back to shore, she retied the sword into her obi. When Rin turned around the orange spikes of a conch shell waved just under her nose.

"Couldja please hold this for a sec?"

A long-suffering sigh was suppressed in favor of examining the water demon's ever-present tool. The length of the staff curled and twisted with smooth, flat ridges that were just a shade paler than the creamy-orange seashell at one end. _Not sure if it really counts as a staff, though_, Rin thought_._ If anything, it more closely resembled a scepter.

Placing his hands on the bank, Kichiruka leapfrogged out of the brook. All too soon she had to hand him back the staff. Brown eyes watched intently as he fumbled to slip the abbreviated rod through his sash and over the short jacket.

"Why do you carry that thing if it's so cumbersome?"

"Why do you haul around that sword?"

"Because I have to," she stated definitively.

Kichiruka just smiled. A quick incantation and he was dry enough for training. Glancing to his side he noticed Rin combing out her hair, then setting to wring out the fringes of her sodden clothes.

"Here, let me," he offered.

Over laced fingers, Kichiruka muttered an icy-spoken spell. Then his hands hovered just above the garments, close enough for Rin to see the crystalline droplets that passed from the cloth to outstretched palms. She felt her mouth go agape as the water drops accumulated into a liquid sphere, gathering and rounding at the tips of Kichiruka's fingers.

"Hm, extra," he said, looking at the bubble, then tossed it to the grass where – without yokai influence to maintain the form – it splattered open upon contact.

"Can everyone in your world do that?" Rin asked.

Kichiruka smiled. "Nope. So far, just Master Tensai and me." He suddenly frowned. "Aw…should've hung on to that one. You could've seen me juggle."

Rin gave an amused huff. "I notice you don't cast a spell for breathing on land," she observed.

"Should I?"

"Well, I know that fish flop around and die if they don't get back in the water. It's like they suffocate outside of it."

Kichiruka nodded. "My teacher, Master Tensai, has to, but for whatever reason I'm unaffected."

"What kind of fish are you?"

"A unique one," he answered with a broad grin.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Must be a yokai quirk." Saying no more on the subject, Rin rose and dusted off her clothes. "C'mon, let's go. Stand up."

Kichiruka grimaced as his knees cringed and readjusted to the environment. His upper body was used enough to the strain and, with elbows bent, he pushed off the ground, catching his footing on the rebound. "How's that?" he asked, giving a second bounce in place to steady himself.

Rin nodded approvingly. "Good, but you'll have to smooth it out to just standing without all the gymnastics." She looked the demon up and down, his weight distributed between his spread feet. "Can you move forward?"

Kichiruka hummed his certainty, but Rin saw the moment his knee buckled and took up the navy sleeve in a second.

"Thanks," he grunted, grateful for the support. The little ivory comb just under his chin bobbed in a complacent nod. Back to basics, he sighed inwardly. Kichiruka half-wished he could be nearly as patient. In spite of her outbursts, he gave Rin credit for her amazing tolerance in the face of his repetitious learning process. Surprisingly, for a creature he heard many in his realm call "short-life," she acted like they had all the years in eternity plus one. Rin didn't just leave him alone with "Figure it out yourself" as her only instruction.

They walked – _okay, Rin walks, I shuffle_ – in companionable silence for a while longer until Kichiruka started wondering aloud. "So, why aren't you all dressed up today?" he asked.

"'Cause I was trying to be on time for Mr. Punctuality."

"Really? Who's that?"

Rin groaned. "Just focus on walking. You're leaning too much on me now."

As Kichiruka regained the balance he left with yesterday, the support under his arm and at his side diminished. _But she's keeping pace with me still_. He tried lengthening his strides, but the timing was off and he had to reach for Rin again.

"Slow down," she advised. "Little by little, you're getting there."

To his credit, Kichiruka was the first to move away. He found a little more balance could be garnered if he kept his gaze set on the hills that grooved the horizon, something picturesque and unmoving. _Someday, I might be able to walk even those._

Rin pulled away until she stood full arm's breadth from the water demon. His motions were a tad jerky, but it was passable for walking. "Uh…and you don't have to keep going straight."

Kichiruka tried to turn his head to look at his coach, but quickly had to stick out his arms at the sides to keep from teetering off balance. He smiled awkwardly. "How do I change direction?"

"Angle your feet this way," Rin instructed. Walking backwards, she motioned with her hands for Kichiruka to follow. Unfortunately, he tried swiveling at a sharp degree and toppled to his side. When he didn't get up, Rin briskly walked to his side. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Staying put, he kept his eyes glued to the grass. "Look at this!"

"It's just a bug," she said, but Kichiruka wasn't listening anymore. _Got to remember he's like some deprived child when it comes to this stuff. _She waited until the beetle disappeared under a mushroom. "Ready?"

As if returning from a dream, the demon lapsed back into the present, realizing he'd been laying on the grass all this time. But Rin stood patiently nearby, waiting. The spots on Kichiruka's face rippled with his smile. "Thanks. Let's try again."

oOo

"I…I need a...break…" Kichiruka rasped. His knees shook, then, tapped of all willpower, he flopped exhaustedly to the ground. "Ahhh…" How good it felt to stop resisting gravity.

Rin kept her erect posture, hands on hips and mouth askew. They were barely halfway through the Hour of the Ox and already Kichiruka was wheezing for a break. The weather was temperate, so it couldn't have been the heat. _I thought yokai were supposed to have superior strength and stamina. On land, this guy would so be dead_.

Rolling around on the green grass with a big, goofy grin on his face, the water yokai certainly didn't look like he would mind it much. "Oh!" Kichiruka's eyes popped open and he reached into his haori. "Check this out." With a practiced flick of his wrist, he tossed the withdrawn item over, watching it wink bright blue in the sunlight.

Rin caught a stone and had to use two hands to cup it. Her feet slipped from under her when she realized exactly what kind of rock she held. "A gem!"

"Milord's gift to me." Kichiruka elbow-crawled to where Rin sat. "I don't doubt that my teacher has received equal, if not greater, compensation." He chuckled. "Keeps Sensei from giving up on me, I'm sure."

Rin marveled at the large sapphire, rotating angles so it caught the sun in an array of colored light. She looked from the gemstone to Kichiruka's matching eyes. "Are you the ocean lord's son?"

Kichiruka laughed harder. "Not by a long shot!" Composing himself a bit, he rolled on his side to better meet Rin's gaze. "But he has taken me in favorably and for that I am grateful."

Rin absentmindedly touched the comb in her hair, realizing just how little she knew about this odd demon who simply showed up in a fishing net a few weeks ago. "Taken you in? So you're –"

"Look a butterfly!" Blue eyes comically crossed as Kichiruka kept still in the inspecting wave of antennae and probing feet. The toothy grin stretching across his face threatened to break any second. "Hey, uh, Rin, I don't wanna scare it away." The water demon gestured frantically with his eyes, his smile growing by a couple molars more. "Can you take it?"

Rin stifled her own giggle, then, setting down the gemstone, reached out to let the insect crawl on her finger. Kichiruka sat back, a sigh of relief eddying out. "Phew! Thanks!"

"Umm-hm," Rin hummed. As a little girl, she used to love chasing butterflies, and never could quite catch them as they always flitted out of her grasp. When she got older, Rin understood you could actually get them to land on you if you just held still. Now, a while since, she couldn't remember that last time she was able to get one to sit on her finger.

The water demon noticed how much attention she paid the insect, even as it returned to the skies, and with a much different appreciation he had the beetle before. _It's not a novelty to her, but it is precious_, Kichiruka realized.

"Something special about it?" he inquired.

"Yes, I'd say so," came Rin's dreamy answer.

"Like a treasure?"

She nodded. "A jewel or a butterfly…I really don't think it matters. They're of equal value."

Kichiruka blinked owlishly…then burst out laughing.

Snapping back to the here and now, Rin frowned. "What's so funny?"

"That's just it!" he brayed. "I never thought I'd see the day _anyone_, human or yokai, would say such a thing!"

Rin fumed. "Are you calling me an idiot?"

His cackle subsiding to a chuckle, Kichiruka made a real effort to sober. Though the merry twinkle in his eyes betrayed him somewhat, he was determined to be taken seriously and lightly wrapped webbed claws around Rin's fingers. "Don't worry, the first time I said it, I was also deemed a fool. It's all the same: an army swearing fealty and a single, hearty laugh."

Rin considered that for a moment, or rather, considered what Lord Sesshomaru would say to it. "There is a disparity between those two," she said matter-of-factly.

"Don't be so serious, dear Rin!" Kichiruka said, covering a smirk with his palm.

"I'm not overly serious," she snipped.

"'I'm not overly serious'," the demon mimicked, looking away from the stern village girl in a poor attempt to keep a straight face. It didn't hold. Seeing Rin's brow furrowed through the tears in his eyes, Kichiruka dismissed the subject and moved back to the sapphire. With the pointed end of the conch staff, he jabbed at the gemstone. "Anyway, you can tell it's of quality 'cause it doesn't break, see? …Oops."

The sapphire fractured in twain.

"Well, er, it doesn't break unless faced with a demon-forged weapon like this."

"Ri-ight." Rin pointed at the staff. "And you still don't know how to use that thing, do you?"

"Its secrets will reveal themselves to me in time." Kichiruka recited his excuse with the ease of repetition. With the acrobatic bounce from earlier, he clamored to his feet. His gait was stiff and awkward, but the sea demon sufficiently "walked" to the edge of the brook where Rin had left her basket and other equipment.

On the brink of chancing a dive into the shallow water, Rin came up with a better suggestion. "Here, let's practice kneeling." Doing so herself, the girl gestured for Kichiruka to follow suit. When Rin heard the cartilage pop in his joints and saw the grimace that creased his face, she did her best to encourage him. "Just bunch your knees. There you go! Very good."

Kichiruka smiled, not so much at his own accomplishment this time, but as having Rin around to be there.

"Okay, now extend," she said, tapping her toes to the top of the stream.

The moment he touched his feet to the brook's surface the rest was easy. Kichiruka slid back into his familiar element, sinking deep and drawing the water around him like a shifting blanket.

"Thank you for the lesson, Rin."

She nodded. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes, of cour– oh…" Palms clapping together, Kichiruka held his hands over his bowed forehead in a deep apology. "I'm sorry, coach, but I won't be able to attend practice for the next few days. We're expecting company in my domain and I'm to be in attendance."

"That's fine," Rin chirped agreeably. "But you promise not to completely forget everything you've learned so far?"

Kichiruka gave her a smile that quaked around the edges. "I'll try….eheh…"

"How many days?" she pressed now.

"Four…maybe five."

"You better practice," Rin ground out.

Kichiruka's laughter was his promise. And it wasn't until Rin later checked her basket that she realized he let her keep half of the sapphire.

.

_A/N: Thank you all who are reading, reviewing, and tuning in. And for anyone who's wondering about a certain off-screen dog-demon, he'll be back in the up-coming chapter. _


	14. Hitting Snags

**Hitting Snags**

Jaken watched the azure crescent above his master's smooth brow furrow deep and settle into a familiar pattern of creases. It was no stretch of the imagination for what, or rather who, was on Sesshomaru's mind._ Even when she's not around that girl hasn't lost her touch for worrying him. _But with every step, the daiyokai treaded farther from Rin's village. They had been traveling for a few days now and, considering that he hadn't taken to the skies in the last two, Sesshomaru was seeking out a particular location. Between the unfamiliar terrain and taciturn attitude, it left his vassal stumped.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why are we going this far into the northern territories?"

When the dog-demon didn't dean to answer, Jaken sighed and kept walking. He missed Rin if only to hear his master talk more. After a couple hours' more walking, Sesshomaru finally did speak. It simply wasn't what Jaken would have liked to hear.

"Stay here."

The imp's knee-jerk response promptly shaved off a century more of his life expectancy. "Stay?" he blustered. _Alone? Without you? Or even…_ "Why?"

"You will follow?" Sesshomaru allowed a light smile to curl the corners of his mouth.

Feeling his squat legs quake, Jaken obediently reassumed his position, allowing his lord to complete the trip alone.

oOo

The caves in the far North housed one of the few remaining ancient yokai. Creatures of time immemorial, there was still debate if they had appeared before or after the first drops of the islands had formed. This one under a dormant volcano was expected to be of such a class. Although he possessed claws the size of sailboats, his skinny frame was covered in a silvery shag and the enormous beast just passed for some semblance of a canine. For several centuries now he had slumbered under a mountain range and none dared wake him. They say that you could tell when he snored by the sulfur that rose from the volcano above his head. Although no one could recall a time when this creature was young, the stories still rang fresh about this being the first servant of Tsuki Yomi that herded the dead to the underworld, snapping at their heels and devouring the stragglers. Many knew this sleeping hell hound as Death itself.

Sesshomaru called him Grandfather.

Abandoning his usual stealth at the cave's entrance, Sesshomaru tread with a heavy-footed gait, purposefully kicking stones and sending gravel ricocheting, leaving no question to his advancing presence.

"Young dogs have selective hearing; it's the half-deaf old-timers you should be concerned about," Mother had once admonished.

Rounding into a final cavern, Sesshomaru stopped and listened. A cool wind that had been swirling through the tunnel abruptly stopped and blasted back, hot and muggy with just a hint of an acidic underpinning. Sesshomaru waited until the chilling inhale returned, then proceeded to walk forward. He didn't have far to go when a pair of crimson slits cracked open, lurid in the surrounding darkness. Devoid of even the blue iris most red-eyed demons possessed, the pooling gaze widened, blinking twice until the strange visitor came into focus.

He stepped nearer to the giant snout, placing a hand on the pale, quivering nose. The span from his thumb to fourth digit didn't even bridge the gap between the two canine nostrils. _Interesting. He is ancient indeed_. Sesshomaru saw the moment recognition took hold, but just to ascertain, he inquired, "Do you know me, Elder?"

The answer, when it came, was emitted from somewhere deep in the throat of the inu-yokai, raked out in a guttural sludge suggesting the number of millennia that the voice had gone without use as his jowls remained unmoving. "**_I...know thee…son of third daughter…mine_**."

Sesshomaru nodded. This information in hand, he moved to the crux of his visit. "This Sesshomaru," he said, enunciating his name clearly, "has a question, Grandfather."

A low growl that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle reverberated through the cave. The pair of nostrils before him snorted, and the Western Lord had to bring up a sleeve to shield some of the spraying mucous. "**_Woken for a pup's inquisition?...Ask._**"

Ignoring the demotion and doing his best to banish thoughts of his father's flea-demon lackey, Sesshomaru sprung on the edge of the grizzled snout, in view and out of discomfort's way. From where he now sat, the young daiyokai noticed the poison-user's mark that also arced over his grandfather's brow. He focused on that smooth, furred surface when he presented his thorny question. "How does one…give a daughter?"

"**_Speakest of quandaries…not mere questions!_**" boomed the reply. "**_Unfortunate not to sire a son._**"

Tenseiga shifted at his side, but Sesshomaru didn't bother with technicalities. Instead, golden eyes tracked the long gray ears that trailed down either side of the old dog's head. Ragged and worn, they remained motionless, but for the muscle at the base of one that swiveled in the slightest show of interest.

"**_What worth… has this girl?_**"

"Little," Sesshomaru admitted. "But much for whomever marries her."

The cold nose behind him crinkled in an imitation of a smirk. "**_That much is true…of the Dog General's line._**" After a thoughtful pause, the elder daiyokai mused, "**_What of the Eastern clan, Masho—_**"

"The issue is not choice of clan," Sesshomaru said. "Rather, choice of the girl."

Red eyes fluttered half-open, requesting elaboration.

"Whether she is secured in matrimony or…granted sovereignty."

"**_Sovereignty?_**" There was almost a mocking undertone to the reaction. "**_Pup, how runs thine estimation…of this girl?_**"

Sesshomaru chose his words carefully. "She thinks like a son."

Another chuckle shook the cave. "**_Speakest as proudly as I didst, Grandson…However, I smelt a conflicted scent at thine entrance…Art thou worry-wracked?_**"

_Isn't this where the conversation started?_ The dog-demon fought down his testy reply, waiting for the ancient canine to continue.

"**_Children know not what is best for themselves…it is up to you to discern…_**"

Sesshomaru waited, listening.

Several minutes later and the old dog still hadn't carried on. Instead, his breath rose and fell in easy rhythm. Sesshomaru snarled. _Asleep!_ Mother never mentioned anything about waning strength. He'd seen decrepit humans prattle on with more gusto. The Inu no Taisho's son snorted; he may have inherited the venomous qualities of the distaff line, but it was obvious where the stamina ran. In an indignant flurry of silks and fur, Sesshomaru stalked out of the cavern. He could figure it out on his own.

Unaware of his departed company, the elderly demon picked of the thread of conversation he had nodded off on. "**_Children do not know what is best for themselves, it is up to you to discern the best of their situation_**," he finished. "**_This mountain range…rests upon my spine…and I…beneath it all_**," the old dog sighed. "**_And with my years I am left shiftless, and legend is my only vehicle. I gave myself to be the living border for the then Western Lord. No regrets I have. Dost thou understand, pup? Pup?_**" The grizzled muzzle sniffed around, but couldn't find fur or flicker of his grandson. With a snort, the ancient yokai lolled his head askance.

"**_Huh. Case in point_**."

.

_A/N: Sesshomaru's grandfather was inspired by a Deviant Art image (that I sadly can't find now. But the artist called him "Inu-Bossu," or Dog Boss, lol). Also, if you have any questions pertaining to the story directly, particularly for my kind anonymous reviewers who don't have accounts here, please feel free to email me at kitsune(underscore)no(underscore)kaji(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thank you!_


	15. Kelpie

_A/N: I reply to all reviews with login IDs, so please check your account settings that enable private messaging. On another side-note: depending on how you write it, "tensai" can mean either calm or calamity. As the story goes on, I'll let you figure out which matches best. _

**Kelpie**

After following his nose out of the winding northern caverns, Sesshomaru didn't rush to collect his retainer immediately. He gave scarce more thought to his recent conversation, returning to its precursor two days ago.

.

"Back so soon?" Under its layers of sarcasm, the comment had held just a touch of genuine surprise. "Are centennial visits now scheduled for decades?"

That day, not unlike many before it, Sesshomaru snorted at his mother's sing-song tone. He had come to root for answers, not nose up inquiries. "How came you matched to Father?"

"I was suitable," she answered primly. Then, pointedly ignoring her son, the Lady of the West redirected her attention. "Little Yokai," she addressed Jaken, "where are the rest of your master's menagerie?"

Terrified to refuse her a reply but even more so to speak out of place, Jaken frantically looked up to the dog-demon beside him who kept his gaze trained upon his mother.

"What's wrong, Little Yokai?" The purr raised gooseflesh on Jaken's spine. It didn't help that this woman looked exactly like Lord Sesshomaru. "Won't you answer me?"

"Answer _me_." Jaken sighed in relief to find himself shielded by white hakama. "Whom might I ask to give a more informative recounting?"

"Meddling with _life_ again, Sesshomaru?" His mother's tone turned tart, and her lip seemed to curl with the taste. "Once you found a warren for your pet, why didn't you just leave well enough alone?"

Sesshomaru remained silent. Mother usually answered her own rhetorical questions within the season. "Where might I find Grandfather?"

"If you mean your father's side, not in this world. No one from that line has a very strong sense of self-preservation where glory or 'greater good' is concerned. Do you see now, Sesshomaru?" she chided. "This is why you can't grow attached to short-lives, it's a waste of the better part of a century."

"Jaken. Let's go." He made to leave.

"The Northern Borders. East-most range under Mount Kaena."

Without turning around completely, her son tilted his head in the Western Lady's direction to offer a rare "thank you."

"Mind yourself, Sesshomaru." She fixed him with a serious stare. "The purpose of mating – human, yokai, what have you – is to produce strong, fit offspring. You were already secured as heir before…your father's _folly_ came into being." Amber eyes looked at him sideways, as if trying to find the angle of fracture. "Don't do anything stupid."

.

_Huh_. At this point, Sesshomaru believed he had mastered his reason. He hadn't clouded it with envy; he had what he wanted. He didn't chase after a phantom's standard; he had surpassed those. And, foremost, his strength was no longer unmitigated; he had a purpose. For over two hundred years, Sesshomaru had borne the responsibility of a Western Lord, but only for the past ten had he recognized a duty to specific lives. In faith, they were a handful, but they were his to punish, his to cherish, and his to protect. He couldn't "do anything stupid" where they were concerned.

_No matter how stupid they may be. _

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Tears streaming from bulging eyes, Jaken scurried to his master's side. One sniff and the dog-demon knew what had sent his retainer into hysterics. _Mountain cat._ Claws cracking, he readied himself.

Pines crashed and earth quaked under the thudding weight of the lynx-like yokai as it loped toward its prey, jaws wide open and ropes of saliva dripping with anticipation. From Jaken's perspective, it would have been like being chased by an endless tunnel of teeth. From Sesshomaru's standpoint, the monster had size but little else going for it. He finished it with a single stroke of claws, poison doing most of the work as the slashes hissed and expanded to eat through flesh and fur.

Jaken scuttled from behind Sesshomaru to inspect the remains. The daiyokai did likewise, but for entirely different reasons.

What if it were a weaker creature that faced this mountain cat? Say, a human? Surely vanquishing this yokai then would be no small task. He thought of the frailty of humans, of his own half-brother's weakness, even he was protected by a fang of their father. _How easily they break and bleed._ And how easy it would be to sever the life cord that bound Rin to this world she so wished to explore.

_Rin, stay safe. _And, if she couldn't fight them…_Stay away from yokai. _

oOo

_Kichiruka, where are you?_

The water demon didn't show up on the fourth day, or the fifth. By the sixth, Rin had grown antsy. With Sango in her last trimester, babysitting the twins and their two younger siblings was a chore made prickly enough by their mother's moodswings and worsened for Rin without the excuse to slip away back to the brook. And the past couple of days when she was there alone it just felt like there was nothing to do, even with the heavy nets flopping with caught fish. No point. Nobody.

Now it was high noon and, instead of checking the little river, she was in charge of a brood of little terrors. Well, the girls were okay. _When they're not competing or trying to out-annoy each other._ She had just settled everyone down for lunch when Miroku breezed in.

"How's it going, Rin?"

"I need a break," she sighed from her corner of the spacious room. Though the children were in her line of vision it was clearly apparent that she didn't see them.

Miroku sighed sympathetically. "Ah, well, I'm a working man, so I'll be on way to…"

"Where do you think you're going?" Sango stood in the entrance that connected the dining room to the next living space. She took a moment to kindly acknowledge Rin. "Why don't you step out for a while, hon?"

Not wasting a second, Rin edged to the threshold. "Really?" she checked.

"Yes, I feel much refreshed after that nap."

"How wonderful, Sango dear." Miroku sidled his way closer to the exit after Rin. "But I just remembered a job I was called in for this afternoon."

"This is part of your job!"

From the doorway, a strong hand reached out and hooked fingers into the monk's collar, dragging him back inside. The sliding door scraping shut.

Rin strolled back down the village's central dirt road, paying little attention to where she went. She'd have to be back in a few minutes. It's not like there was anything else to keep her occupied.

"Is something the matter, Rin?"

Startled out of her reverie, she refocused on the priestess before her. "Nope. Don't worry, Lady Kagome, it's nothing." Rin turned and scowled in the other direction. "Feh." _Stupid Kichiruka…you can't just leave me sitting here without a clue. _

Kagome arched an eyebrow at the telltale signs. _Wonder how much she hung out with Inuyasha while I was missing in action._ "Are you sure there isn't something on your mind you'd like to share, Rin?" she lightly pried.

"No," she answered honestly.

"Hey, Rin!" Kohaku greeted amiably. His lopsided smile had sprouted a few more whiskers since his return and Rin brightened somewhat in its glow. "Do you want to go for a ride?"

"Say, that sounds like fun," Kagome said, beaming at Rin.

"Where to?" she replied. While a little voice in the back of her mind cheered, _I thought he'd never ask!_ another simply didn't care anymore. But both rallied for the chance to get out.

"There's a seaport not too far from here if we take Kilala," Miyoko said.

_And then there's her._

"As the weather's warming up, more demons will have their hot blood roused and grow increasingly irritable…and violent," Kohaku added unnecessarily. "We'll be taking off by tomorrow, and are going to need some basic provisions beforehand."

Miyoko nodded, waving toward the nekomata. "Do you want to come into town with us? We're heading to the coast."

_I guess if Kohaku's coming along_. Rin looked over her shoulder to Kagome who nodded encouragingly. "Sure."

Following the plain-clothes rappa to Kilala, Rin mounted behind her.

"You girls have a good time!" Kohaku called.

"Wait, you're not getting—?"

With a swirl of flames that obscured Rin's vision, Kilala pounced into the sky. Once they were airborne, she looked at the company she had joined. _Great, I'm going to have to sit through a whole ride with Kohaku's girlfriend._ Rin didn't try making conversation. _Just let her be the one to make the first move. _

Miyoko wasn't sure what had spurred on this theirs was an uneasy friendship – _or maybe more of a truce?_ – and she knew Rin didn't care for her company that much. _Did she think Kohaku was coming, too? _"So why did you want to come along?" she finally asked.

The friendly tone caught Rin off guard. "I wanted to get out some," she answered simply.

Miyoko considered this. Come to think of it, she had never seen Rin venture much beyond the local perimeter of the village unaccompanied. _Well that…sucks._

"Kilala!" She squeezed her legs around the furry sides. "Up! Hang on, Rin!"

With barely enough time to obey, Rin felt their mount go nearly vertical in the sky only to spiral back into a freefall. Miyoko laughed and, once she remembered how to breathe, Rin realized the elation was contagious.

oOo

_Sunlight,_ Kichiruka's mind dimly registered as his eyes blinked away sleep. He tried to stretch and winced at the soreness in his arms and stiffness plaguing his lower back. The physical and mental strains of attending to guests that had nearly overstayed their welcome were less than he cared for, but Lord Ichikawa had been presented a generous gift so at the very least an extra day's hospitality had been in order. With their departure, it felt good to be back in his own ship – moldering and upside-down as it was – away from all the noise and crowds of everyone shouting…

"Kichiruka!"

Bolting upright, the water demon nearly poked his eye out on his teacher's pointed nose. His own guise slipping after days' exhaust, Tensai's swordfish features stood out more prominently, sails and scales flushing dark blue.

"Well?"

Kichiruka just realized he may have missed an important line of conversation. "Yes?"

Tensai slapped a hand over his eyes, slowly sliding it down his face until his nose thrummed back into place. "You forgot to close the stalls?"

_Stalls?_ "No, no! I did! I did! I thought you meant…well, wait, now that you mention it…there was a black one, too, right? It looked like it needed a good swim, so I let it…" He smiled weakly. "Sorry."

"Unbelievable! Those barbarians show a shred of courtesy by giving us some of their most treasured sea beasts and you go and let one of them loose? They aren't trained yet, y'know! And the black one, you say? That was Ichikawa's favorite! Gods! One tiny responsibility we allow you, but see what happens? This is why…"

Halfway through the tirade, Kichiruka was already on another planet. _Actually, it's not that far away. _A cool, grass-lined brook, the smooth sitting-rock in the center of it, and the pretty girl who was teaching him to –

"And what in the deep blue are you smiling about, boy? This is no laughing matter! Do you realize any of the political—"

"Master Tensai?"

"What?" he snapped.

"Aren't we wasting time?"

The veins on Tensai's sails swelled to bursting. "Find that steed!"

oOo

"I'm going to wander off on my own for a bit," Rin announced as they landed in the seaside town.

Miyoko gave the younger girl a considering look. She wanted to say yes, but…"Why don't you take Kilala with you?"

The two-tailed feline wore its miniature guise and mewed like a kitten, seconding the idea.

"I'll be back very soon," Rin assured, glancing to both parties. "And I promise to be careful." She patted the blade at her side.

As soon as she was well beyond the last shack in the seaside village, Rin raced down the beach. Kicking off her sandals, she pranced barefoot on the warm sand, then, hopping over a rope of kelp, buried her toes in the cooler, wet shore. With a cry of delight, she trailed her fingers through the cold, foamy waters. Here was the edge of her world and Rin longed to see what lay beyond its fringes, to experience every taste and texture, each sight and sound.

_Even right here is fine_, she thought. It's different.

Picking up some driftwood, Rin idly swished the stick through the Motion from her peripheral vision caught her eye. A beautiful, ebony stallion pawed the ground, impatient for her arrival. _A loose horse around here?_ As she neared, he started to trot toward her, but always his hooves remained in the ocean. Too late she noticed the rows of serrated fangs that filled the horse's mouth. They were clearly not the teeth of an herbivore.

"Get back, Rin!"

A blue and silver blur arced between Rin and the demonic water-horse. Staff humming in threatening circuits, Kichiruka burst from the waves. Rin had only a second to see his dramatic entrance because in the next he swooped down on her attacker with all the vengeance of a sea god.

_Wow…he really is graceful in the water._

Rin watched in rapt awe, waiting for the finishing technique. Perhaps he would end it with a tsunami strike or whirlpool's twister or…Kichiruka swung the staff down with all the finesse of a caveman. Indecorously, the water-horse crashed unconscious into the waves.

Rin suddenly laughed and Kichiruka wondered if the ordeal had scared her witless. When he pressed his hand to her forehead, Rin waved him away. "And here," she gasped between giggles, "I thought you were going to go into a comedy routine for that monster!"

Kichiruka snuck his nose in the air, feigning arrogance. "I am a selective artist. The rabble is beneath me." He smiled. "Actually, these creatures" – he gestured in the general direction of the unconscious steed – "are the 'glory' of the ocean." Blue eyes rolled skyward to demonstrate the sentiment was not universal. "A glorious pain are all they amount to. They were a gift to our lord by this week's visiting demons from far, far distant isles."

Rin marveled, wondering what other strange visitors Kichiruka was so privileged to encounter. "They were from beyond the Mainland?"

"So it's said. Now the task is to drag it back home." He scanned the area for a moment before dredging up some kelp from the coast. Muttering a single syllable, the demon transformed the kelp into an olive-green chain. Shaking off the loose sand, Rin watched him walk to where the unconscious water-horse lay and weave the chain into a makeshift bridle.

_That's pretty handy_. "Are you going to be safe taking that…thing back?"

Rows of bright white teeth glinted in a grin. "I'll be fine. I think it only eats humans."

_Gee, thanks, Kich'. _

Rin's dour expression must've been quite apparent because the water yokai quickly added, "D-don't worry, they won't be getting loose again. There's plenty of fish fare in our waters for creatures like Momo here."

_Peaches?_ It was like naming a tiger Cuddles. Still minding a safe distance, she let her curiosity content itself with questions. "Can sea horses always be subdued with a solid blow to the head?" She pointed at his conch staff.

"I dunno. It was a test." His smile widened and Rin's confidence in him sunk a little lower. "I'm sure this staff is pretty sturdy, though. Master Tensai says it has to be considering who's wielding it." He paused as if just barely registering the comment. "So what brings you out here?"

Now, arms crossed over her chest, Rin drew herself up, though it was pretty tough to be upset with the slipshod water demon at this point. "You weren't at practice when you said you'd be." She hoped the voice didn't come out as small and lonely as she thought it did.

"So you're hunting me down?" he said in a joking tone. "Oo, I'm a wanted demon." At that exact moment the conch shell thrummed its hollow tune. With a sigh and apology, Kichiruka spoke into the cusp. "Yes, Master Tensai?"

"Did you find the black steed or not?"

Rin's eyes bulged at the sound of another voice answering through the seashell. It was one thing when Kichiruka had "talked" with his weird clicks and cackles, but for whatever reason hearing a regular response from thin air was something else. Somehow

"Got it, sir." Claws tugged on silver bangs. "Momo's been secured and, ah, tranquilized."

"Momo? Don't go naming those things now!" A disgusted sigh shuddered through the conch. "Quit dawdling and hurry it up."

The connection suddenly went dead, leaving only a succession of hollow beeps to echo through the shell. Kichiruka tilted the conch's mouth downward and it stopped. "Wish I got to be the one to harass him."

"You mean there's no one inside there?" Rin pointed to the shell.

"Nope. Master Tensai talks into one shell from somewhere out there" – he gestured to the vast ocean – "and it transmits to here."

"Cool."

"Not really. Anyway" – Kichiruka stood – "you have my word for the morrow. What time?"

"The usual," she said. "And have you been practicing?"

"Whatever gave you the notion that I haven't?" Kichiruka smiled innocently.

Rin eyed the surf that swirled around his ankles, bracing them at the joints and serving as a subtle lifeline back to the main ocean. "Just asking."

_'Cause tomorrow you're learning how to run._

.

_A/N: I guess you all can guess by the title from which mythology this is borrowed. And yes, Kichiruka has a shell-phone. Couldn't help it. _:)


	16. Red Herring

**Red Herring**

As a professional slayer who often had accommodations arranged for well over half of his jobs, Kohaku had always traveled lightly. Then he got a female partner. Outside on his sister's porch – _it's only quiet area of the house_ – he surveyed the contrast between his neat, little pack of spare equipment and uniform and Miyoko's bulging bundle of…_stuff_. "You're going to thank me when it comes in handy," she reminded regularly, sparing no smug smile when she was right. _Girls_, he inwardly groaned.

Seeking to busy himself with other things, Kohaku set to polishing his greater kusarigama for the second time that day. It was a precious, hard-earned gift and he took immense pride in its gleaming twin curves at either end of the central handle. The mastery of this weapon was what made him a demonslayer, a "taijiya" as he heard people cry in help and hurrah. Kohaku's attention was so rapt upon his task it took a moment for him to realize someone outside of his head was indeed saying his title.

"_Taijiya_," the voice grated with just a hint of a growl underneath its annoyance. "Where is Rin?"

In the daiyokai's presence, Kohaku scrambled to his feet. "Lord Sesshomaru," he greeted politely, executing a quick bow. "She went out with Miyoko."

Keeping his distance from the human settlement, "Is the two-tailed with them?"

"Yes, Kilala's their ride."

This bit of information seemed to placate Sesshomaru's mind. Then his nose wrinkled as a new one made itself known.

Yoked under a wooden bar with two filled water buckets on either side, Inuyasha paused on his way in to Miroku's house to scowl at the visitor. "Keh, thought I smelled peevish bastard."

Sesshomaru glared freely at pricked canine ears. "Peevish perhaps, but hardly the latter, _half-_brother," he tartly returned.

Before the encounter escalated from trading insults to blows, Kohaku audibly cleared his throat. "Is there any other way I may be of assistance, m'lord?"

"Geez, kid," Inuyasha groused. "Ain't like he owns the damn village."

Turning a deaf ear to his brother, Sesshomaru nodded, striding off in the opposite direction. "Kohaku. Come."

The taijiya picked up his professional weapon and followed after Sesshomaru. _Probably wants to check on my progress, _he surmised.

Sure enough, they walked southbound toward the field that had served as Kohaku's training grounds with the daiyokai since he was "under assessment." Jaken greeted the pair – or at least, greeted Sesshomaru and nodded toward Kohaku – when they arrived at the clearing a good mile or so from the village, then the imp quickly scurried out of the way. A word from his master, and Jaken disappeared from the scene entirely. Calmly, Sesshomaru drew one of the blades at his side. He held still long enough only for the demonslayer to get his bearings.

Kohaku didn't see Sesshomaru move, but his blade was instantly on guard the second steel clashed with its edge. Striped cheeks stretched in a half-smile.

"Very good, taijiya." With an easy grace, the dog-demon dodged the chain that threatened to disarm the sword from his grip. Although Kohaku didn't actually see the cerulean hilt, he glimpsed the etchings on that of the other sword, which remained undrawn at Sesshomaru's side.

_Tenseiga_. The young man's grip relaxed a bit, at least so his knuckles didn't turn white. His mentor was in a better mood today. _Or he wants to talk._ Among the daiyokai's odd mannerisms, battle loosened his mouth the best. Kohaku knew he hated idle chatter in the middle of practice, but the slayer gave it a go.

"I thank you for these lessons, Lord Sesshomaru," he began, dancing just out of the sword's swing. "In the past five years of my profession these territories have become virtually safe from hostile yokai."

Interestingly, his combatant was already prepared with a rebuttal. "Can the same be said of humans?"

"Rin is capable of defending herself," Kohaku assured, and successfully rebuffed Sesshomaru's next strike. "My sister has seen to it."

"Your sister has been expecting for a few months now. Edges dull without practice." The demon's tone remained neutral even as he aggressively lunged forward.

Kohaku leapt back and twisted into a razor-edged tornado. Sesshomaru took a moment to appraise the style – nothing short of his own print – then sprang and slashed down from above. "And she can't fend off a demon alone," he concluded.

"Then why don't you provide her the means to?"

For the exchange of several strikes, Sesshomaru remained silent. "Virtually safe, eh?"

Kohaku lowered his kusarigama for a moment, perplexed. "Yessir," he answered when he picked up the old thread of conversation. "Why do you ask?"

"There's bad form," Sesshomaru chided gently before forcefully wrenching the chain from Kohaku's grip.

_No fair_. He tried to fight it down, but the scowl crept across the taijiya's face.

Keeping the Heaven Fang at his opponent's throat, Sesshomaru replied to Kohaku aloud. "To the helpless, life hardly is."

oOo

"You certainly look recharged," Miyoko said as Kohaku's friend regrouped with her and Kilala in town.

Rin shrugged nonchalantly, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a grin. "Must be the salty air."

Miyoko nodded, and pretended to agree. _She's got a real sparkle going. _Admittedly, Miyoko felt like letting them tarry just a bit longer, but, shouldering a bag of newly purchased wares, she jerked her head toward the little demon cat. "Ready to go?"

As the world fell away beneath Kilala's fiery feet, Rin felt just a little bit of her cheer go with it. The beach wasn't terribly far, but the distance was enough to make her wonder when she'd get to see it again. _Maybe Kichiruka will let me borrow his teleportation power again._ She giggled at the absurdity.

"What's so funny?" Miyoko cracked a slight smile, wanting to share in the mirth.

Rin waved her hand through the air. "It's nothing."

"Okay." Even without understanding, her smile broadened anyway. Rin was a surprisingly easy person to be around.

"You seem pretty used to handling Kilala," the girl behind her piped, but this time without any roughness in her voice. _Just conversation?_ Miyoko felt like calling it a compliment. "So…what's it like being rappa and accompanying a demonslayer?" Rin asked.

"Hey, not so loud or—" Miyoko's knee-jerk reaction eased when she remembered just how high up in the air they were. Her head tipped to one side, she considered, "It's not that much different from my old job, but better. My targets aren't people."

"Is that why you're not…?"

"I left my clan." _I escaped._ "Miyoko isn't my real name," the young woman confided, sorrow tingeing her tone.

"What is it?" Then Rin hastily added, "If you're allowed to tell me."

"It used to be Ayu."

"Ayu? Like the fish?" She chuckled. "That's actually a cute name."

"I haven't even told Kohaku," Miyoko confessed. "It's rather nice to hear it again…Erm, and don't tell anyone, 'kay?"

"Tell them what, Miyoko?"

Since their meeting that was the first time both girls had shared a genuine smile between each other.

oOo

On the wooden planks of Miroku's veranda, Miyoko eyed the humble set of supplies beside hers. _He's so underprepared._ Looking to the miko over her shoulder, she called, "Lady Kagome, have you seen where Kohaku's gone?"

The young priestess nodded. "You know the southern field? That's usually where they head out to practice. Kohaku was carrying his kusarigama when he left, so you'll probably find them – oh! There they are!"

Hopping off Kilala, Rin waved to the pair – half in greeting, half to keep Sesshomaru's attention from their gawking neighbors. Though there wasn't anyone who didn't know about Inuyasha's full-blooded brother, there was always a little more in the way of whispers and warnings whenever he strode into the village itself. Rin noticed a light sheen of perspiration coated the daiyokai's pale neck. Kohaku really was improving.

Dismissing the slayer from his side, Sesshomaru stopped an arm's breadth before his charge. "Your blade," he said simply.

Even though the weight at her side was very real, Rin's hand automatically flew to the hilt, afraid the sword had somehow been forgotten. "It's here."

"Let's test it." Sesshomaru inclined his head toward the practice field.

She nodded, then turned to her friends. "Be back in a little while."

Kagome, Kohaku and Ayu – Rin smiled to herself – waved them a quick "see you later," and a collective exhale of relief washed through the observing villagers to see the demon go.

As they strolled along, back to the clearing where he had evaluated Kohaku, the daiyokai couldn't help but notice the burbling effusion of his bright shadow. Even without a canine's nose, he felt the waves of contentment rolling off Rin. But, curiously, she kept quiet. Sesshomaru had known her to be a hopeless chatterbox as a child and, even in adolescence, her eagerness to speak her mind hadn't ebbed. Although the dog-demon remained silent, he broke his usual stoic expression to allow a faint smile for the girl at his side; it was his wordless inquiry of her wellbeing.

"It's nothing! It's nothing!" Rin laughed with a careless flick of her hand when she did take notice of Sesshomaru's quizzical look. "I had a good trip. Master Jaken isn't with you today?" She scanned the area as they came to a stop in the field.

"He's on an errand," Sesshomaru said simply, offering no more information than Rin had. He drew Tenseiga. "Begin."

Academically, all of Rin's moves were correct. She dodged, darted, and lunged. She knew how to defend, circle, and parry. He picked up on one stutter-step, but many of the common errors had been ironed out. Everything was there and, had he been human, Sesshomaru would have wagered she might take him yet. _And yet_. Even the best techniques against a stronger opponent could be nullified. She would need his help on this.

"Good," he finally pronounced after crossing the blade over with his own, driving the edge into the ground.

_Good_. It was a step up from his usual "satisfactory." "Thank you." Her grip still secured, Rin bowed from the shoulders, then made to collect her blade. Sesshomaru kept it firmly pinned.

"Your scabbard," he requested.

Rin fumbled with the knot for a moment before turning over the wooden sheath.

"I'll have it back the day after tomorrow. Until then stay close to home," he solemnly instructed.

"Your side doesn't count?" Rin teased, giggling a bit.

Sesshomaru smirked and it wasn't entirely mirthless. "Not anymore."

_She may think like a son, but she is nonetheless a girl._ He sighed imperceptibly. _A young lady_, Sesshomaru amended. He could only be there for so many turns. The point of Rin staying in a human village was to ensure her safety and to grant the opportunity to grow up among her own kind. At that time, the daiyokai had never considered a haven may eventually become a prison.

Suddenly a screeching caterwaul brought Sesshomaru back to himself and he glanced up in time to see his pint-sized vassal make a – I suppose there is no other word for it – groundbreaking entrance, with the claws of the twin-headed dragon skating behind barely missing his head.

"Ah-Un!" Rin dashed to her old friend.

Sesshomaru huffed in amusement at her childlike delight. The scaly beast-of-burden had been too much to lead around, especially without a small child to give it purpose, but bringing it by once in a while seemed to particularly lift Rin's spirits.

_Not that there seems much need for that today. _

"Are we going anywhere?" Rin eventually asked after driving Jaken in a furious rant about appreciation and belittling his position to the all mighty Lord Sesshomaru.

The daiyokai nodded. It was late in the season, but not too much for the last glimpse of a little-known sakura valley beyond the next hilly range. He knew it was one of Rin's favorite places, that even without saying so, she knew exactly where they were headed. As they drifted through the sky at a breezy pace, Sesshomaru noticed the young woman's effusion contain itself to a quiet contentment.

_Or quiet contempt?_ He recognized that look on her face, the kind that pined let me go, _I want to try for myself. _Although he wanted to see Rin grow into her own she obviously didn't understand all the frets and stresses of adulthood. For a long time, it hadn't been her place to bear the responsibilities he did and Sesshomaru knew the harsh realities over the romantic ideals his charge entertained about wandering alone in the world.

_But a little frog in the pond does not know the great sea. _

_A pink sea, _Rin thought, admiring the swaying branches below on their approach and how the clusters of blooms blended into each other. She turned to Sesshomaru and pointed to the third sword he carried. "When I get stronger will I be…capable?" It sounded better than "can I do what I want?"

"We'll see." He tilted his chin as if to continue, then stopped.

Rin glanced at Sesshomaru. Pauses in their "half-talks" as Rin used to call them when she was smaller, were common. The daiyokai always selected his words with care, so these little lapses of silence made sense to her.

"Adulthood has certain responsibilities. Protection of self is simply one."

"What else?"

In the saddle beside her, Jaken harrumphed. "Don't you get it, girl? You're not there –"

"Owning your word," Sesshomaru continued.

"Like about choosing lifestyles?" Rin edged.

"To your superiors," the dog-demon finished. His implicit _I have none _hung in the air.

"Will I at least be your equal?" She kept her tone light, but not out of the range of serious.

"You're a few hundred years too early to think like that." Sesshomaru smirked. "Come. We shall walk from here."

Rin dismounted, but took the comments in stride. Sesshomaru still carried her sword, so he was "working on it." _Mostly working it out with himself._ And, for the time being, she didn't feel too bad that still his to claim.

oOo

"Wasn't that girl grumpy just earlier this morning?" Inuyasha's ears swiveled in confusion. Dusk had swept in and, even over the crackle of the hut's central fire, he could hear Rin's light humming from outside as she bustled about for her last tasks before bed.

"Oh, c'mon," Kagome giggled, playfully jabbing her spouse in the arm. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed? The moodswings? The sighs? The restlessness?"

"What of it?" He sniffed the air. "It ain't that time of the month yet."

Kagome frowned. "That's not what I meant. I'm saying Rin's got a crush."

"Again? Damn, how many of those things can you women go through? An' just what tips you off in the first place?"

"For starters, she is pretty happy," Shippo observed from his corner of the room.

"That ain't nothin' new." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "For whatever reason, she's hardly ever in a bad mood after visiting with that uptight bastard."

"Are you blind?" Kagome sighed.

"No, but –"

"This is different!" both kit and priestess barked in unison.

Hoisting the last bucket up with both hands, Rin's tune turned into song…then she noticed the crowd staring out of Kagome's home. She stared back and they all hurriedly looked away, save Inuyasha who had to be dragged back in, swearing, "I don't see _anything_ diff'rent!"

Sesshomaru's ward stared just a little longer at the vacant threshold before moving on. Back to humming, softer now.

_Honestly, they sometimes give _me_ the creeps._

_._

_A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated. _


	17. The Finny Race

_A/N: The title of this chapter is owed to a line of (naturally overdone) poetic diction from one of my favorite Graveyard Poets – though he meant "race" in quite a different sense as I'm using it now, we're both talking about fish (or something like it). _

**The Finny Race**

Sesshomaru hated coming here. Even after nightfall the air was stifling, the heat – especially when dressed in heavy silks, armor, and fur – was beyond bearable. The noxious, sulfuric stench played havoc on his sensitive nose. Everything about this dump made Sesshomaru go from testy to temperamental, and – according to Jaken, anyway – there was a difference. Regrettably, this was once such occasion when he couldn't send the imp in his stead either.

But with the scent of cherry blossoms still fresh in his memory if no longer his nose, Sesshomaru made some effort to be accommodating. "I'll make this easy for you, old man," he growled.

Totosai barely had time to look up when a dark, imposing silhouette filled the mouth of his cave. The eerie green glow of talons illuminated Sesshomaru's face, unruffled and unrepentant as ever. Dropping the knife he was tempering, Totosai backed against the wall of his home. No escape now. By the time he took a deep enough breath for a decent blaze, those claws would already be upon him. _I'm a goner!_

But when he opened his eyes, the blacksmith noticed his "client" had stuck his hand in one of the stoneware jars at the kiln's side. Sesshomaru's eyes flushed scarlet and when he withdrew his hand it was three shades paler than usual, the magenta whorls in stark contrast against the sickly pallor. The arm went limp at his side. Quickly capping the jar, he picked it up with his good hand and set it before Totosai. "Upgrade that blade," the daiyokai instructed, pointing to a sheathed sword he must have leaned against the wall upon entering.

Totosai took a minute to process the demand. "…Come again?"

A tic jumped in Sesshomaru's jaw. "Refine the—"

"Hey, look a sword!" Hefting it by the hilt, the old demon carefully slid off the scabbard and tested the weight. He rapped a gnarled knuckle against the edge, listening for the light metallic thrum. "Did I make this?"

The sudden charge of yoki that stormed the cavern helped Totosai back on track.

"Right, uh, upgrade it is!" His laughter bordered on frightened hysteria as he reached for the stoneware jar and its venomous deposit. "You got it!"

"Indeed. Otherwise, I will…"

"Lop off my withered head," Totosai drawled routinely.

"We understand each other then." A dangerous smile edged Sesshomaru's mouth.

"That's what you said for the last kid's weapon. Do you know hard it is to –"

"Totosai, if you can craft a boomerang chain-and-sickle in three days, a little honing of an already made blade should be of no challenge. One day."

_Brassy whelp_, the old blacksmith glowered. But he set to work with little complaint. He had a hunch for whom the commission was. It was unfortunate she had a representative with such poor diplomacy.

oOo

Even though he knew a master swordsmith of Totosai's caliber would have his order sharp and ready in a day's time, Sesshomaru had good reason for telling Rin he would not return until the day after tomorrow.

_Rarely does this old codger get anything right the first time 'round._

Sesshomaru returned the following day and, once he had tested the commission, had half a mind to shove the blade down Totosai's gullet.

While the sword appeared fine enough on the exterior, when the daiyokai drew to assess the weapon's meddle himself the blade bucked in his grip. Indiscriminately, it slashed any matter in its path and the acid it unleashed ate away wherever it struck. Though the result may have made sense to Sesshomaru – _a blade imbued with the power of pure destruction would only rampage_ – he could not give it anyone short of his strength. A human was out of the question.

He stepped back into the skeletal cavern. "Correct this."

"Can't correct an improvement," Totosai said with a careless roll of his skinny shoulders.

"This blade is far too dangerous to be wielded by a human."

"You mean that sword isn't for your greedy palm?" The blacksmith blinked. "My, my, now you're getting it! Have to say, the Inu no Taisho would be mightily surprised if –_YERK_!"

Sesshomaru looked down his nose at the wizened yokai he strangled just inches from his face. Pressing a claw-tipped thumb against wrinkled flesh, the greater demon was careful not to pierce the skin…yet. "Correct this how?" he prompted.

"Ich needs er seal…" Totosai gasped around the stranglehold on his neck.

"Something that will keep the power in check, is that it?"

The old demon's cheeks ballooned out and he gasped for breath. Sesshomaru loosened two fingers.

"Well, Totosai?"

"Yeah, sure…" he wheezed.

Without a second glance in his direction, Sesshomaru dropped the smith to the dirt floor and focused on drawing the incorrigible blade. Wrapping his palm around the sharp edge, Sesshomaru slid his hand down the sword's arc until it dripped crimson. "There. Temper it." In the same breath already the rent tissue of the daiyokai's hand reknit. He set the blade before one of the low work benches as the cavern's "kiln" still blinked spots from his vision. "Tomorrow, old man." Sesshomaru was gone in the next backwash of humid wind.

"It's not the sword's temper I'll watch," Totosai mumbled under his breath as soon as his belligerent customer had left.

_I ought to just pack up and let the brat figure it out for himself,_ Totosai groused as his pet bull nosed in to see what all the commotion was about.

"Moo?" it inquired.

"No, it's nothing." He studied the blood splatters on his bench, quickly darkening and drying. _Fire it or flee_. His time to make a decision was running out.

The blacksmith's hammer came down with a resonating _klang!_ and a steady stream of flames flew over it. The sword keened sweetly under the repetitive strikes. It didn't have the same ring as the first time when Totosai left it incomplete to evaluate the commissioner's motives. Now it sang with purpose that it had the seal of someone's intent: the power to protect.

oOo

_"Been practicing" – as if!_ Rin staggered under Kichiruka, getting caught in the loose garments that swam over his gangly frame. A full hour passed before the water demon found his footing again.

"Okay, I'm up," he declared at last. Suddenly, Kichiruka's eyes suddenly bulged and his smile warped into a pained grin as Rin heard a popping sound around his knees. "…All in place now," he winced. And chuckled.

_If it's so painful, why is he laughing?_ Then Rin remembered something else Kichiruka had once said. _"In such situations, you either laugh or cry."_

After walking for a time, he asked, "Is this all we're doing today?"

"I _was_ going to teach you how to run, but…" Rin studied her friend's steps, which were losing just a bit of their watery wobble.

"What's that?"

"What? Running?" She gaped at the alien concept. "You don't know what running is?"

He shook his head, silver spikes swishing.

"It's like…" Rin fished for the right words. "Walking really fast" didn't quite cover it. "Just…watch." Propping Kichiruka up with his staff for support, Rin gave herself some room. "You sort of circle your legs, swing your arms and…uh…" She felt like a drunken ape doing these natural movements in slow-motion, and the demon's widening grin did nothing for her self-esteem.

Exasperated, Rin threw her hands in the air. "Fine, _you_ try!"

Kichiruka stumbled on his first step. But the jerking motion forced him to take another. And a third. His feet moved in easy circuits. Knees bent and muscles contracted. Everything worked. And below, the world whizzed by. Speed. Thrill. Rush.

"Kichiruka!" Rin called. "You're running!"

"Yes! Amazing!" Kichiruka returned over his shoulder. "But…how do I stop?"

"Dig your heels in!" Rin gasped, breath coming in spurts now as she fell behind; the water demon's speed kicked up fast. He might have been at odds with the terrain, but his supernatural stamina and speed more than made up for it. "Try walking again!" Rin shouted. "Slow down! God, just stop freakin' moving!"

Kichiruka chose to follow the last suggestion. Unfortunately, he didn't consider that even though his body would stop moving his momentum wouldn't slow. He tumbled to the ground in a pretzel of limbs and torso.

"Are you okay?"

"Never felt better," he managed, still seeing stars. "Fall down seven times, get up six."

"Get up _eight_," Rin corrected coupled with an exasperated sigh.

"That too," Kichiruka chortled. Rin could've sworn she heard a snort, then realized a second too late it was her own. The water demon laughed harder.

Finally, she passed a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to straighten out her jaw and the undignified smile. "Ever wonder why we laugh at nonsense and like it?"

"Hn?" Kichiruka canted his head.

"Why do we appreciate absurdity?" Rin clarified, her composure somewhat regained. "I don't exactly think it benefits us."

The silly sparkle refusing to leave his eyes, Kichiruka impressed her by managing a coherent answer. "I suppose if we couldn't laugh at things that don't make sense we couldn't react to life."

Rin stood still for a minute, arms crossed over her stomach. "I can't tell if that's funny or really scary."

"Laugh or cry, Rin dear."

And Kichiruka's laughter shook the air.

.

_A/N: Finally got around to coloring this doodle I made at the start of the story: __feral-instinct. deviantart __._com/art/Catch-of-the-Day-171583111 (please remove spaces before copying into browser). Thank you for reading!


	18. Forgotten Mussels

_A/N: Shout out and thank you to everyone who's reading! Hope you're all having a great summer! – Silent Scribe_

**Forgotten Mussels**

As much as he hated to admit it – upper-crust yokai such as he should be imperious to petty whims of sentiment – Tensai was concerned for his lackadaisical pupil. Kichiruka had been "disappearing" of late and, although it was Tensai who had passed along to him the power of aquatic teleportation, it unnerved the older demon that he couldn't track where the lout wandered. When one teleported he vanished entirely from the premises without any trace of fin, fringe, or yoki. _And he seems to be making a habit of it. _Or at least, that's what Tensai thought until his student returned yesterday and shut himself in his home for the remainder of the day. _Not to mention all through today, too._ Given Kichiruka's jocular attitude Tensai wasn't sure if this was an improvement or an omen of worse symptoms to come.

Smoothing the sails that spiked out on his forearms and head, Tensai dutifully lurched to the old derelict on the kingdom's edge. Since the cruise boat had capsized, he found it mildly irritating that the deck should be above his head rather than below. The whole setup was topsy-turvy.

_It suits the occupant. _

After stumbling through the starboard only find the main entrance was on port – _only a human could design these ridiculous crafts!_ – the swordfish demon poked his nose to Kichiruka's usual haunt. No sooner had he leered in, a soft greeting echoed, "Master Tensai? Is that you?"

"Who else comes within a mile of this wreckage?" he snapped. _Upper-crust, upper-crust, upper-crust…_

Kichiruka chuckled, setting down some inscribed tablets in his lap. "May we reconvene in an hour or so for martial training?"

The sails on the older demon's head quivered, spiking up and smoothing back down. It had been a while since Kichiruka had shown interest in this facet of his studies, he was so often consumed with the expectations of a new audience or picking his teacher's brain for a new spell (when he wasn't pushing it to wits' end).

When Tensai didn't answer at first, Kichiruka promptly explained, "It was, ah, recommended that I spend today studying." He shuffled the tiles in his hands. "But a bit of training wouldn't hurt either." The conch staff was hoisted high.

"Where would you like to practice?" Tensai kept his tone impatient and snippy. Mustn't seem too thrilled.

"On shore."

"What?" Tensai's composure was shot out of water. "Are you ill?"

Kichiruka blinked innocently. "No, but…"

"I thought you hated the terrestrial plane?"

"Well, I do, er, did…"

Tensai's yellow eyes narrowed and the beady, black pupils focused. He had grounds enough to inquire where academia was concerned. "Where have you been drifting off to these past few weeks?"

"Land," Kichiruka confessed. Lying to his master was pointless. And occasionally painful.

But Tensai didn't do anything. Instead, his face wrinkled in what Kichiruka might have ventured to call a smile. _Ah, yes, I told Ichikawa he had potential,_ he inwardly preened. "Well, then, as you were. Give me a while and we'll go."

"I have a new coach, too."

Blue sails blanched. Why wasn't he informed? Tensai could read, write, and count his salary, he knew basically everything there was to teach Kichiruka. He'd been at Lord Ichikawa's side for nearly a century now and this little spiny-headed joker was going get a stand-in for _him?_

Kichiruka felt the trickle of yoki that raised a rash on his back. "Not a new coach that could replace you, Master!"

Tensai let up a bit. "Oh? And what could you possibly learn from someone else that I am not equipped to demonstrate?"

"Walking?"

"On land?" Kichiruka nodded and Tensai actually looked impressed. "You truly found a terrestrial demon who would put up with your stupidity?"

"Look, I said I would stop 'horsing around.'" Kichiruka imitated a whicker from one of carnivorous equine "gifts," and giggled.

"Not funny, boy." Tensai crossed his arms. "So, what kind of yokai is this coach?"

"Well, she's a human, for starters."

"A human?" Tensai made a face similar to the one Rin had when Kichiruka told her he was slimy.

"Is that bad?"

Tensai mulled over this a moment. "Yes and no. Humans are reputably very unstable creatures, mental and emotional crises often arising from self-realization of their short existences."

"Oh." Kichiruka weighed the information in his mind. Might explain why Rin was so crabby.

"But if you're learning something valuable…" Tensai tilted his head from one side to the other. A little mortal wouldn't be a threat to his position. Humans were ill-equipped to live in the water anyway. "Not too many of our people out here worry about humans. The short-lives that do venture into the water hunt the same food as we and are generally respectful of the ocean's might."

"So…can I keep her?"

"Oh, I suppose. Just don't go get emotionally in—"

"Thank you very much, Master Tensai!" Then, before his teacher could shirk back on anything, Kichiruka slid the door to his study closed, nearly taking the swordfish's nose with it.

Tensai reached for the door only to have a light spark jolt his fingers back. He couldn't remember teaching Kichiruka any sealing spells.

_Brat. _But Tensai felt a small smile crease his mouth. _That's why I tolerate him. _

oOo

While the sky was still pink and the stars still out, Rin didn't bother with her chores yet and focused on getting ready. She wanted enough time to leisurely stroll to where she usually met Sesshomaru. The last time she had rushed, the daiyokai curtly reminded her that poor organization and planning were not associated with independence.

_And I shouldn't need a keeper. _

He was standing alone when Rin arrived in the northern clearing close to Kichiruka's brook, her sword presented on upturned palms. With the way Sesshomaru kept perfectly still, she had to wonder if he was even breathing. He certainly appeared rigid enough.

Rin stopped the customary three paces before him. And couldn't help eyeing the weapon in a quick once-over.

"Some intrinsic modifications were made," Sesshomaru said as if in reply. "It's yours." He made no motions to proffer it further.

Bracing her hands against her thighs, Rin executed a deep bow, then moved to accept the gift. She noticed silver brows scrunch slightly, as if signaling some discomfort.

Seeing Rin's uncertain glance his way, Sesshomaru schooled his features, feeling his face smooth from wrinkles he hadn't been aware it made. "Are you prepared to test it?" he asked once the scabbard was tied securely in place.

Rin nodded. She expected such a request. "On what?"

"Me." If it worked, the blade wouldn't let him harm her. If it didn't Sesshomaru trusted himself not displace a hair on Rin's head. He crouched, Rin followed suit, both drew their blades and stood in time, only the tips crossed.

"Begin."

The pattern started out the same as always: wrist, head, follow through, block, wrist, head, waist, follow through. But there was a tremble of anticipation in Tenseiga's edge.

"Faster," Sesshomaru instructed as they moved on to the second routine.

Rin wasn't sure what would come out the sword now that her guardian had tailored it. It looked Rin had half hoped it would spring out with a lightening flash and flare into a giant blade like the Tetsusaiga.

Sesshomaru said he modified it, so that meant he made it stronger. But what did _that_ mean? Steel was steel, and it looked exactly the same, maybe a little shinier, but nothing spectacular. Rin thought about the implications.

_Stronger against…demons? _

Although his face was carefully blank, amber eyes danced, flaring with the unnerving thrill the daiyokai found in the midst of battle. _Something's up. _

She slashed, but the stroke fell short. Sesshomaru frowned. He had impressed an aggressive attitude all their practices and Rin hadn't faltered since their first session. It didn't make sense that she would hold back now.

The next time Tenseiga crossed blades with Rin's, the dog-demon kept her from retreating and pressed close.

"This is a test," he reminded gravely. "I am a dispensable subject." A bit of amusement glinted in Sesshomaru's eyes at the absurdity that Rin, or anyone, might have a chance of injuring him.

Rin nodded, still groping for some gusto, but she didn't know what to expect either. What if something went wrong? What if Sesshomaru had underestimated – it'd happened before, she knew, remembering a time when he had gone without a left arm for a while.

She might not have thought her spirited _KYA!_ was halfhearted, but Sesshomaru heard its tepid echo. With an inward sigh, he sheathed Tenseiga. _Enough of this._

Rin lowered her blade. _Is he calling it quits?_ She felt far more relieved than ashamed that she couldn't follow through with Sesshomaru's expectations. _You can't just come at someone without knowing – what the hell is he doing?_

The tips of Sesshomaru's claws glowed a light gold. He cracked each knuckle slowly. It was Rin's first and only warning. The unfurled end of his light whip snapped in front of her feet, sizzling where it struck. Rin backed up with a yelp.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He didn't answer. Instead, a second lightening crack resounded over her head. _Fight_.

Rin risked a glance behind her. Running was still an option. She refocused on Sesshomaru and the intensity in his eyes. _Guess not._

Sesshomaru hardened himself, chin tucking in closer to his armor. Soft brown eyes were pleading that she didn't want to do this. _Don't make me hurt you,_ they begged. The demon shook his head. _My thoughts exactly_.

He rushed her.

Rin sidestepped, but Sesshomaru abandoned the handicaps he had previously afforded her and whirled around with a twister's ferocity. Lengthening claws swiped at the blade, daring it to rebuff or, at the very least, react. _Perhaps it recognizes me,_ Sesshomaru considered. _And so it will not – _

A sickly green swirl of yoki puffed out at the second strike. Rin wrinkled her nose at the familiar bitter smell of Sesshomaru's poison. _It's envenomed!_ She looked back at the dog-demon and his stretching smile at her flash of insight was confirmation enough. _So, if it's his own power,_ Rin thought as she skipped backwards out of range, _then he should be immune to it, right? _

Sesshomaru waited a span of heartbeats to see what would come next now that she was getting the idea. When the girl didn't move, he took the initiative.

Rin frowned. He was going to force her hand._ Forgive me. _

She sheathed the blade.

For a split second, Sesshomaru's eyes registered shock, and he torqued away just in time, claws leaving golden rifts in the air, just enough to ruffle Rin's hair.

He landed with a disgusted huff, and gave her his back.

_I screwed up. _Kneeling submissively, Rin turned to untie the scabbard. _I don't deserve this._

"Keep it." Sesshomaru spoke without turning around. "It takes time to understand a reborn blade."

_He's giving me an excuse? _

Sesshomaru chewed the inside of his cheek. Turning around, he glared at one out of place raven lock. "Stand," he commanded and Rin obeyed. She didn't look up from her feet until two fingers slipped under chin. Another pair plucked the ivory comb from her hair. Rin didn't move. She felt a clump of strands turn one way as if Sesshomaru were making a small adjustment. But he didn't stop there. He kept combing, the fine teeth working in long, easy strokes.

_He's grooming me like a puppy_, she realized with only a small degree of annoyance.

A distracted growl softly reverberating through his chest, the dog-demon focused on parting tresses and fluffing bangs. It was a trivial task, but the routine motions calmed him and, much to Rin's relief, it didn't feel like standing next to an inferno anymore. Finally, he twisted the comb snuggly back into place, securing it with a single pat.

The daiyokai angled his head just enough for eye contact. "We will have a reevaluation next week."

_Am I forgiven?_

It wasn't much of a choice, but Rin agreed anyway. "Yes."

_It would seem so,_ Sesshomaru thought.

.

_A/N: For more Sesshomaru/Rin combat check out "Sparring."_


	19. With Fronds Like These

_A/N: Cultural note – 'itadakimasu' roughly translates as 'I gratefully partake' and generally used before eating a meal, especially if someone else has prepared it. FYI: 'Gochisosama' is what you say after (lit. That was a feast! Idio. That was delicious, thank you!). Moving on..._

**With Fronds Like These**

From his perch on the thatched roof, Inuyasha smelled Rin well before he saw her trudging down the main road to the village. She had Sesshomaru's scent all over, like she'd come within a hair's breadth of his yoki at full blast. Inuyasha bristled. He knew what _that_ felt like.

_Bastard._

As Rin approached Kagome's home she saw the sign pinned to the threshold that announced, "Back in twenty minutes." Considering that only a handful of people in this village could actually read the sign, Rin always thought it was a little silly. It wasn't Kagome she was looking for, anyway. She parked herself on the bench out front and waited.

"Yo," Inuyasha gruffly greeted, pouncing off his roost. "So what happened now?" He took up a seat beside Rin and pointed his nose at the scent's strongest source.

"A gift," she sighed dismally.

Inuyasha quirked a heavy brow. "Most people are happy when they get somethin'."

"Yeah, but…I'm sure those 'somethings' aren't so complicated."

Tapping the fang at his side, Inuyasha smirked. "Wanna bet?" Then, a little more seriously, he added, "I thought you wanted to get stronger."

"I do." She toyed with a loose thread on her kimono. "But I didn't think there was so much entailed, y'know?"

_Yeah, I do_. "And?"

"And…I couldn't perform when the pressure was on. There were times where he left himself blatantly open for me to attack and…I didn't." Rin lapsed into silence.

Well, that explained the onslaught of yoki. _He's pushing her again. But…_White, canine ears swiveled in mock confusion. "Y'mean, you had a chance to take a real good swing at him, one that he might feel, and didn't? _Why?_"

Cracking a smile, Rin rolled her eyes the half-demon's way. "It's not easy for everyone to want to wipe that smirk off Lord Sesshomaru's face."

Inuyasha barked his one-syllable laugh. "I guess. But you're also doing wrong by him when you don't."

"Really? How's that?" Her head canted to one side.

"Well, _think_ about it. You're the one he wants protected, and he's the damn scariest thing out there, no matter which way you slice it. If he pits himself against you don't think twice about hurting him – chances are good he's got it under control, anyway," Inuyasha hastily added the last when her face paled at the thought of injuring the creep.

"Look, girl," he continued, "Sesshomaru sure as hell doesn't want you to have any emotional qualms when it comes to protecting yourself. He's pretty weird when it comes to these sorta things." Since the kid was still looking at him with that blank stare, he figured he'd have to elaborate. Rigorously scratching the back of his head, Sesshomaru's brother considered his phrasing. He went with direct one anyway. "Y'know, I don't think that jerk even had a heart 'til he met you and got an example to go by."

Rin blinked.

Inuyasha grunted. "Keh, just keep in mind, you're real import'nt t'im."

"What Inuyasha means to say," Kagome intervened, overhearing the conversation as she popped up from around the side of the hut, "is that Lord Sesshomaru loves you very much and makes your best interest his priority."

"I know _that_."

"Then you should validate it," the priestess concluded.

_Validate it by…? _Rin looked at the green banded hilt and sighed. She knew she was Sesshomaru's priority. _I just sometimes I wish I were just a little lower on the list so he wouldn't worry so much._

"Your call, kid," Inuyasha's voiced trailed as he followed Kagome inside.

When she was a child, she trusted the great demon's judgment unconditionally. He gave her a place to belong and a sense of stability when she needed it most. But as she grew, Rin noticed that not everyone made the right decisions and adhering to the acceptable only left the mundane. What she wanted to do was to have the independence to test her own judgment. But earning that was more of a challenge than she expected. And the recklessness she thought she craved lost much of their appeal in a matter of moments.

_I guess this part of helping me grow up. _

When Rin looked at her sword again, she reacquainted herself with the grooves of hilt, feeling the ease with which it was tailored to her grip. It was hers. A means of defense, a way of fulfilling her top priority: herself. And priorities always carried responsibility.

_I'll prove I can handle mine._

oOo

The next day that followed, Rin packed a few extra materials in a cloth she tied up and slung over her shoulder. She looked forward to these visits with Kichiruka mostly because they made her feel important, like _she_ had someone to protect. So long as he was picking up something from her Rin felt, at the bare minimum, that she was needed.

Kichiruka sat in the brook, amusing himself with…juggling? His arms keeping time with the circular pattern, Rin was impressed to see such dexterity from her normally clumsy friend. The demon didn't say anything when she sat down on the bank to watch. She guessed that the balls must have been glass until, with a flick of webbed fingers, one of the balls split into two perfectly shaped spheres and rejoined the circuit without a hitch.

"Like it?" Kichiruka asked, his attention still adhered to juggling. "I've been meaning to show you for a while now."

Rin clapped delightedly. "It's cool!"

"Think fast." He rolled one off his elbow, but just as Rin made to catch the water ball its surface tension broke and splashed in her face. His focus gone, the rest of juggling act splattered back into the brook. Kichiruka's smothered laughter choked out in broken bits.

Wiping her soggy bangs aside, Rin huffed._ On second thought, using this sword won't be so difficult. _

"Do you want to try?"

Rin started at the sudden suggestion. "Huh? Me? Do what you did?"

Cupping a hand into the water, Kichiruka conjured a new liquid sphere. He whispered softly and the trembling water stilled to a perfectly smooth surface. Free hand extended, the fingers motioned for Rin to lay her own hand palm up on top. She did and the water sphere plopped into her hand, jiggling slightly.

While Kichiruka issued hushed commands, he maintained his hold on Rin and she could the dark edge of yoki that danced along her skin; but where Sesshomaru's aura intimidated, Kichiruka's teased a titter from her throat. At the giggle, he took half a second to smile up at her, then returned to the quivering sphere before it broke. Slowly, the demon drew away.

Rin tossed the bubble from one hand to the other, and Kichiruka's eyes tracked it, willing the water to keep its shape. Until he realized it was being throw at him! Focus lost, the sphere exploded on impact, drenching him straight on.

"Gotcha!" Rin rocked back on her heels in peels of laughter.

Still blinking water from his eyes, Kichiruka spluttered his amusement. _Formidable!_

Tidying her collar and trying to straighten out her goofy smile, Rin stood. "Come on, let's get moving."

The water demon nodded. He climbed out of the brook without much trouble and, with some support from the conch staff, made it to his feet.

"Want to walk a while?" Rin offered.

"Well, actually, I think I'm good to g—_EEEK!" _He tipped over, but was caught up gently. This time Kichiruka's balance came much more quickly within a few minutes.

"You'll be a natural at this," Rin beamed.

"So where are we headed today?" Kichiruka straightened and fell into step alongside his coach unassisted. "The stream scene's getting kinda old."

"Yeah, we're actually going somewhere today." A smile brightened Rin's face. "Think you're ready?" Rin ignored his non-committal "Uhh…" "Good," she chirped. _Don't answer._ "There's a small hill over there. It's time you learned to walk upwards."

Blue eyes blinked. "Walking _up?_" Kichiruka seemed discomfited by the thought. The last time he tried walking up he fell straight through the air. Land atmosphere was nowhere near as supportive as water.

"Well, it's more of an incline," Rin called from over her shoulder as she trotted a few more paces ahead. "You coming or not?"

Kichiruka glanced nervously back at his brook. Maybe the scene wasn't _that _old.

"C'mon, there's a really great to view to enjoy!"

_Well, it's something new._

It was very new. Tedious, slow, steep - this hill was definitely more of a strain on his calves than just plain walking and, looking around Rin, there was still quite a ways to go. Kichiruka's spine sagged making his knuckles scraped along the grass. His self-moisturizing properties kicked into overdrive and the water demon felt he was ready to collapse into a puddle of goo on the spot. When he did trip, half a step later, he hardly bothered moving.

Rin turned around at the defeated _thud_ behind her. "Kichiruka, what are you doing?"

"Enjoying the view," he mumbled around a mouthful of dirt.

"Well, c'mon or you're going to miss the best part."

A light patter of steps alerted Kichiruka that she was probably standing over him. He stayed put. "Best part what? The top of a hill? They all look the same, I'm sure."

"Have you ever seen the top of a hill outside the ocean?"

He didn't budge.

"Fine, suit yourself, quitter." He heard Rin turn around and keep marching up.

_She's like a jockey from hell._ But, it spite of his legs' burning protestations, Kichiruka lurched to his knees – and noticed that Rin certainly did have a point – though whether or not this was the view she had in mind wasn't the case. Her working posterior had that sort of hypnotic swing, the muscles bunching and rolling nicely along under the bright prints of her kimono. It was like a very fine sculpture come to life, the kind you wanted to run your hands all over just to trace the curves.

His hand involuntarily squeezing, Kichiruka fought down the urge to reach out for a feel. He remembered how discriminating Rin was about touch.

_But she did say to enjoy the view. _

With a wry smile, Kichiruka could appreciate that much.

oOo

"See? You made it!" Rin cheered when they finally staggered to the hilltop.

"Yeah, uh, last minute motivation…" Even with a self-warning tug at the spikes of his topknot, the yokai couldn't censor a rakish grin.

Rin didn't notice. "Here, I picked these this morning." She undid the cloth, revealing a pair of succulent-looking peaches. "Take one."

_Food!_ "Thank you." Kichiruka bobbed his head and politely accepted the fruit with his first three fingers.

_Heh, points for courtly manners._ But Rin's smile was wiped clean as the demon's mouth suddenly expanded to engulf not just the hapless fruit but his whole hand up to his wrist.

From the corner of his vision, Kichiruka noticed that Rin had barely pecked at her peach and stared at him with wide, wondering eyes instead. Did he make some breech in protocol?

_Ah!_ He hastily pulled out his hand and the now half-dissolved, saliva-slicked peach it held. It didn't appear quite as appetizing as it did moments ago, but Kichiruka still managed the gusto for a hearty, "Itadakimasu!" And made assume his previous position.

"Wait!" Rin gripped his wrist. _Eew, slimy_. "It tastes better when you chew it."

"What's chewing?"

The water demon's oddball questions were starting to faze Rin less and less. He simply wasn't used to these sorts of things. Walking, chewing... Rin vaguely wondered what sort of commonalities she was missing out on his world. _Probably stuff we don't have words for._ Taking a bite of her own peach, she demonstrated.

His comprehending "Ooooh…" reminded her of the twins after one of their father's long-winded lectures. Except Kichiruka actually tried acting upon the suggestion.

Just as they settled into something resembling normalcy, the conch staff tapped timidly at Rin's sword.

"Careful!" Relief exhaled through Rin when Kichiruka didn't attempt his prodding a second time. She really didn't want to explain why his hand had melted off.

At least quick demon eyes didn't miss the greenish sparks that few from the hilt. "Something's different about your sword." His nose wrinkled. "It doesn't…taste right."

"Taste?"

Kichiruka touched a finger to his mouth then nose. "Direct connection." Sidling away from the blade, he continued to study it with a grim fascination, especially the hilt's grip that was dyed to match the strange sparks. "An infusion blade, eh?"

"Infusion blade?" Rin hadn't heard such terminology before.

"It's when you take a base weapon and imbue it with demonic energies," Kichiruka explained, his eyes never leaving the black scabbard. "Got to say, though, it must have taken quite a bit of magic and craftsmanship to contain _that_ aura. It speaks volumes of the smith." He paused in his appraisal to ask, "Something from your guardian?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he wants me to…"

"No, why are _you_ undertaking something so dangerous," he clarified.

"I'm doing it for my independence, my freedom to go where I please." Rin nodded her head definitively.

"Why not take a strong friend along?"

"Are you volunteering?"

Kichiruka balked. "…Uh, I guess…not."

Leaning back against the trunk, Rin searched into the tree's shifting leaves, trying to locate the soft twitters overhead. "I want to be like him," she said, pointing to a little bird that flitted off the branch above.

Kichiruka's azure gaze followed the lark. "I wonder whoever decided that birds are free," he mused aloud.

"They sure look like it," Rin grumbled enviously.

"A lot of things appear and are not. Don't you think that their wings get tired every now and then after so much flying?" Crossing his arms behind his neck, he flopped back into the grass. "I think freedom might just be having a place to call home."

Sneaking a peek from the corner of her eye, Rin saw an almost peaceful expression cross Kichiruka's face. Except for that pinch between his eyebrows. She'd never seen the carefree demon look troubled before. Then, although he remained completely unaware of her observation, the water demon did that strange thing again – he just stopped. Rin leaned in and, for the second time, she saw Kichiruka's face make that adjustment. He didn't laugh…but he didn't frown or furrow his brows either. He simply _stopped_. No emotion, not a twinge.

"Something wrong?" Rin asked.

"No, nothing at all." Much-too-wide blue eyes turned her way and Kichiruka's voice could've given Lord Sesshomaru competition in the flat department. Rin sighed inwardly. Although it wasn't a groomed expression of disinterest, she knew a mask when she saw one.

"Something's upsetting you," she said bluntly.

Kichiruka got up. "It's nothing."

With a sure tug on his arm, Rin yanked him back down. "Then you can at least share. If it troubles you that much, you shouldn't keep it to yourself."

She looked for any emotions that might flicker across Kichiruka's face, but he stared back like a pretty, painted doll. _He's well practiced at this._

"All right, don't tell me. I was just curious, anyway." She shrugged. When he was ready, he'd talk. "Let's go. We'll practice walking downhill."

As Rin made her way down the knoll, she focused on _not_ turning around. She knew that when she did Kichiruka would be smiling and something like that would only bother her more. _Laugh or cry, he says. Huh. _

In truth, Kichiruka's smile was faint. But it was very real. Just last season he would have never fathomed in a million years that he might find, on land of all places, a shot at freedom.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are most appreciated!_


	20. Who Needs Anenomes?

__

A/N: A little while ago, one reviewer had asked what Kichiruka's voice sounded like. My response was "something along the lines of Adam Young from Owl City." The past two chapters' titles are owed to the cutesy lines from one of Young's songs found here: youtube. com/ watch?v=RNF4Xzt0cjg

**Who Needs Anenomes?**

Since Kagome had mentioned it, Inuyasha was starting to tune in to how often his brother's brat slipped off on her own. His first impulse was to follow. What if she got hurt? But Rin always came back from wherever she disappeared – _it's prob'ly not that far_ – and she returned happier, too, so…_Aw, hell, let the girl go. _

And if she had a beau?

__

Well, that's Sesshomaru's problem. Damn, the kid's old enough.

Since Rin started living with them, the little village that had the Shikon Jewel and Priestess Kikyo as its claim to fame now became notable for the visits of a particular daiyokai…and for still being in existence after each visit. News that the reason for the great demon's stops was a mortal girl spread faster than a plague, finding its way into homes of the daimyo and destitute alike. Though the former had a good leg up on their poorer counterparts. Some of the anxious ones wasted no time sending couriers carrying proposals - they got the message after the second ones never returned. The slightly smarter ones bided their time like dogs eyeballing a scrap of meat, waiting for a second's breech in vigilance from its sentinel. But between his teeth and talons, Sesshomaru had become pretty well practiced in weeding out anyone falling short of his mile-high expectations.

So, if every lord in the vicinity was privy to the setup, then there sure as hell wasn't a boy in town who didn't know to whom Rin belonged, plenty of would-be buds were clipped before they even had the chance to bloom. _Except for Destiny Boy, of course._Who didn't even think twice about claiming his reservation. Everyone but Kohaku had been rooting for Kohaku.

Inuyasha snorted at the hype. _That idiot's getting as bad as our old man. At least Dad waited 'til he was dead and gone to start controlling our lives. _

Leaning back on the roof, Inuyasha closed his eyes for a bit - he wasn't unconcerned, but at least unworried.

_No doubt it's a decent guy – if not a Kohaku clone. _

If Rin liked this whomever enough, she'd clue Sesshomaru in sooner or later.

oOo

Sesshomaru slowed his paces to a leisured gait. Jaken pattered close, but this time didn't miss his cue to stop when the dog-demon came to a standstill.

__

He's coming.

A pungent human scent thickening the air, the daiyokai recognized the odor only a second after detecting the steady _tarrump_ of horse hooves.

The man, clad in ratty servant's livery, ground tied his mount and strode to stop ten paces short of Sesshomaru. Clutching his sweat-stained scroll to his chest, the messenger dared not pant under his breath. The demon fixed him with a glare, the same as when he had last promised to kill him on sight next time. His lord had remarked that Sesshomaru was very good about keeping his word where death threats were concerned.

The fact that "destruction" itself was in the daiyokai's name came as no comfort.

There was an idle examination of claws before the demon in question spoke. "You again, serf?"

"Lord Sesshomaru, I am the first vassal of Matsuka of the –"

"M'lord was dictating for your return message, not addressing _you_, worm," Jaken returned tartly in his master's stead.

"E-excuse me?" the flustered human spluttered.

"Matsuka's holding are in my domain, so as he is a part of my land he is mine. A serf," Sesshomaru explained in a tone reserved for markedly slow children. He didn't like this man's smell, but he had always been less pushy - civil even - in terms of discussing business. He _was _a "first servant." But as matters stood, Sesshomaru did not want to regret choosing to spare this vassal's life.

"Ah, my apologies for the misinterpretation, Lord Sesshomaru." The courier bowed low. Briefly he considered extending the rolled up message, but thought better of it. Instead, he stared at the scroll as if unsure what to do with it now.

"Leave me if you wish to live." With the flat of his hand, Sesshomaru made a slicing motion through air. The message was over.

"Same for you," Jaken yipped at the vassal.

Looking to his horse, which had courageously stood its ground where its owner had left it, Matsuka's servant turned to go. After two steps, he paused. Speaking softly, he inquired in his most polite speech, "Surely there could be only advantageous for a noble demon to leave his charge in the care of one of the best families of our day and age?"

Sesshomaru frowned. Matsuka was a forceful, impatient man. If he won any battles it was because he was too pigheaded to accept defeat. But he decided he didn't want the messenger losing his over relaying _that_. "At the moment, she does not wish to marry," he said simply.

"She tells you what to do?" The servant lacked the grace to hide his astonishment.

"She tells herself," Sesshomaru corrected. "And if Matsuka cannot comprehend that then he is too foolish a man for me to permit a marriage."

Pivoting on heel, the daiyokai left behind the stunned vassal, trusting he was intelligent enough to devise a suitable phrasing that would save his neck from another go. _Or at least Matsuka's. _

As they neared Rin's village, Jaken's mind began to buzz with replays of the last practice bout between his liege and their charge. _It was more of a test than a mere tussel,_he recalled. The little demon also remembered Rin's hesitancy. "Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken piped from his station at his master's side. There was no rebuke, so the imp continued, "Have you ever considered that…ah, you may not be the best initial target for Rin?"

Sesshomaru gave his retainer a droll look, eyes flashing. "How's that now?"

Jaken's tiny claws curled around the Staff of Skulls, groping for support. "Well, y-you are someone she, and I, have great admiration for. And Rin is human and a female, so you, er, we, must give consideration that she is prey to her pathos…through no fault of her own, of course!"

"Are you suggesting that Rin's attachment to me has made her weak?"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Jaken backpedalled, his brain scrambling for an answer. "Not at all!"

For a span of frantic heartbeats - from Jaken anyway - Sesshomaru didn't speak. Then, crossing his arms into his sleeves, he mumbled, "I do."

_He's worried? That's why he's making her fight him?_ Jaken plunked into the the grass, befuddled. He knew Lord Sesshomaru to be harsh with his foes and occasionally considerate where Rin was concerned, but being cruel to be kind...it was odd.

Two pairs of mismatched golden eyes spotted Rin approaching on the glade's horizon. Her brows set determinedly over a bright, clear gaze, a confident smile lifted her chin.

When she was closer, Rin stopped and curtly bowed a quarter of the ways. When Sesshomaru inclined his head it was to return the greeting. He had just enough time to see her reach for the sword.

"Back," he said abruptly, and it took Jaken a second too long to realize the command was meant for him.

There was a resounding crash of steel, and Sesshomaru frowned at himself for not completely gettingTenseiga out as Rin caught him in the crossdraw. He gave ground in accordance with her forceful shove. Agressive, good. Rin swung higher and the dog-demon had to tap into his yoki to avoid the strike.

"Point," he conceded.

Rin remained grim-faced and on target. She circled for an open, swung, then retreated. There would be no cringing today.

In the midst of the skirmish, Sesshomaru lazily imagined setting this little whirlwind on the pushy lord from earlier in that morning. He smiled, and struck.

Rin staggered backward, wishing her opponent would mind his strength even though she knew this was part of "the test." Her grip clenched tightly around the hilt. _Show me what you can do!_

Suddenly, a rush of power stormed the clearing. His clothes ruffled by the charge, the demon before her stopped moving altogether. Rin paused for a moment. The sensation was very confusing. On one hand, there stood Sesshomaru right in front of her, alive and imposing as ever; but on the other, she felt his presence just over her shoulder. _And there's a difference._

Curling from the handguard, green smoke snaked up the length of the blade. In whispy tendrils the smoke billowed until it assumed the form of a canine head. Pale green and menacing, smoke swirled where ropes of drool would have swung. Its maw gaping to show off serrated fangs, the phantom dog lunged.

_Very impressive. _Stretching out his palm, Sesshomaru fanned, long claw-tipped fingers before the poison beast. Before it could even touch him, the monster's muzzle thinned and twisted, the rest of its body swirling into a vortex as it was quickly reabsorbed into Sesshomaru's hand. He closed a fist around the last puff of yoki.

_Well, that didn't exactly work._Standing on tiptoe, Rin prepared to strike.

Without warning, Sesshomaru sheathed his blade. "Evaluation complete," he said mechanically.

_It's over? Just like that? _Rin blinked, feeling her mouth droop and her adrenaline crash. _Talk about anticlimatic._

Jaken looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what he'd missed. Lord Sesshomaru just stood there with an odd half-smile that asked, "Now that wasn't so terrible, was it?"

The little mortal girl pulled a face, then brightly smiled in return.

He glanced down to acknowledge her for a second before looking away. "We'll have to start thinking of names." Sesshomaru kept the statement perfectly bland, but the pride was plain upon his face. His claws danced along Tenseiga's hilt.

_Good enough to guard myself now?_Rin looked up at her protect from over the years who'd revived her with a swish of his own sword and now gifted her with a blade of her own.

Discreetly, he smiled back.

oOo

"Kichiruka! Kichiruka!"

Sitting at the brook the next morning, she patted the water, checking to see if her friend was around. "I-I think I passed!" With everyone back home too busy with Miroku's family to really notice anything else, Rin's excitement bubbled over even after sprinting to her little hideaway.

"Come on, are you there? I can smell the salt."

Suddenly, a set of three silver spikes sprouted from the water. "Right here!" Kichiruka's called from somewhere underneath. "Congratulations!" His hands popped up and made the thumbs-up sign - Rin assumed it was a positive gesture - while the rest of him remained submerged.

"Thanks!" She smiled, then asked, "Why don't you come out, Kichiruka? Aren't we

"Umm...yeah...gimme a sec." A wall of water shot up like a screen and, when it settled, the yokai stood with half his face hidden by his long, silver bangs. "Ready."

Rin smirked. "What's up? Got a sudden interest in Kabuki theater?" Faster than he could react, the girl reached over and combed away his bangs. Kichiruka hissed in pain and Rin's eyes widened in shock. "What happened to your face?" She studied the burn marks that marred the right side, completing soldering one eye shut, and the singed spots on his cheek. The raw flesh quivered as if still reliving the burn. When Rin reached out to offer comfort he jerked back, but not from anticipation of pain. His good eye dilating, Rin recognized fear.

"Ran into some hard luck." Kichiruka shrugged. "Maybe old karma, I dunno. It'll be better soon. I already got the miko's arrow out."

_Arrow?_

"C'mon, what're we doing today?" He climbed out of the water, wincing under his breath. It was a little too obvious how he favored his right arm.

The burn marks were distracting enough, but Rin didn't miss how the demon's movements slowed or the scar that crept up from his collar and near his neck. _There's probably a gash on his chest, too_. Keeping her comments to herself, Rin still wondered if he had wasted his magic repairing his clothes to look presentable in place of healing himself. _He _did _show up today like he said he would. _

But though she accommodated the lesson for Kichiruka, he seemed to appreciate that she wasn't making a fuss over him. Still, I can feel him struggling. Rin directed their stroll back to the brook. "It's a bit of a lazy day, don't you think?"

Kichiruka smiled. "Yeah," he agreed and took the opportunity to sink gratefully back into his waters. Tucking himself in the current up to his chin, Kichiruka didn't want to go back to the ocean just yet. Master Tensai would maim him further once he saw the marks of his student's stupidity. _Then he'll forbid me from poking around here again._

Since he didn't seem in any rush to get going, Rin swished her hand through the brook and idly asked, "So what else can you do with water?"

Kichiruka visibly perked up at a topic of his expertise. "Lots!"

Picking up the icicle, he ran a claw over it until, in a puff of shards, it took the shape of a handheld sculpture.

"A crane!" Rin cried, delightedly clapping her hands together.

"Mmm," Kichiruka hummed, handing it over for inspection. "Much easier than folding paper."

"Ever make a thousand?" She turned the crane over as it started melting and the features became misshapen.

"For what? A wish? Naaah!" He laughed, then said quietly, as if to himself, "I got mine in less than three hundred." His time with Rin was comfortable and open, she certainly wasn't afraid of him. Then, like a bolt from the blue, Kichiruka asked, "Are humans usually afraid of yokai for no reason?"

Rin paused, her mind already drudging up the usual explanations for fearing demons: deception, death, theft. But it also boiled down to assumption. There were demons like Lord Sesshomaru..._Well, then again, he kinda runs into the second category._ Okay, there were demons like Shippo and Kilala. And Kichiruka. People could fear them for no reason. "…Yes," she answered.

"Oh." Kichiruka fell quiet for a spell, drifting off to whatever blank corner of his mind he entered. When he did speak again it was in a soft voice, like a little boy who realized just how far away the stars really were. "I never thought humans could be afraid of nothing."

"Sometimes," Rin said with a shake of her head, "people imagine their own danger and lash out at that illusion."

The water demon considered this. "Then thank you for helping me as you did back when. That was very brave."

"Hey, Kichiruka, why don't you come back to the village with me? There's a…" She stopped short of saying "miko." "My friend Kagome can help you. She's a healer of sorts."

"You mean your _priestess _friend." He didn't quite say it accusingly, but he could put two and two together. "Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Why not?" Rin asked, already knowing.

Kichiruka's voice still drifted over the current after he disappeared. "Because they don't know me…and I'm afraid of them."

.

_A/N: Kichiruka's little run-in with people reminded me of manitees, whales, seals, and dolphins often have. _


	21. A Scaly Situation

**A Scaly Situation**

"You haven't come across any yokai of recent, have you?"

Kagome paused in hanging up the laundry to consider the question Rin posed, fingers twined through hair and lips pursed. She sighed, pushing her memory.

_Well, don't make a project out of it!_ Picking up and resetting the ivory comb in her hair, Rin regretted asking at all. _It's a "yes or no" question, simple as that_. She didn't want to draw the Kagome's attention where it wasn't due.

_But what if she really did run into Kichiruka by accident and mistook him for dangerous? _Picturing the clumsy yokai who had barely mastered walking on his own two feet in a menacing light just didn't fit. Rin had a hard time believing anyone could take him for a serious threat. Even when his face stretched in its creepy, saw-toothed grin that only was if he was transforming like most demons. _If he's a fish or whatever, it definitely wouldn't do him any good to transform on land._ Idly, Rin wondered exactly what Kichiruka's real form was supposed to resemble. _Do fish have teeth like that?_

"Nope," Kagome finally pronounced.

Rin blinked out of her reverie. "Huh?"

"No, I haven't seen any yokai around. Should we be on guard?" she added as Shippo scampered from Sango's house, the twins in hot pursuit. Rounding a barrel, he lost them then headed toward the priestess, sanctuary.

"Nope, just curious," Rin chirped, brushing off the subject and hoping the distraction would lead Kagome's mind elsewhere. When Miroku's daughters approached she pointed in the opposite direction.

"Is it safe to come out now?" Shippo poked his head out from under Kagome's heavy, red skirts. Rin snickered, until he resumed the thread of conversation. "Actually, even though I can't say I've seen any strange demons about, I've been smelling something salty, like the sea," the young kitsune opined, oblivious to Rin's scowl.

Kagome canted her head to one side. "Why would anything smell like the ocean this far inland?"

Rin shifted from one foot to the other. "Here, let me help you with that quilt, Miss Kago—"

"I know what it is!" Kagome's eyes lit up.

Rin froze.

"You're missing the beach, huh, Shippo?"

Rin collapsed to her knees in gratitude.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know what I smell…" Then the little fox-demon considered the chance to run around on sandy beaches again, collecting shells and skipping rocks like they did last summer. "Yeah, that might be it. We should go again sometime."

As the conversation ambled along Rin let a little _phew_ escape. She wasn't sure why but now it felt like the more time that passed the more difficult it was becoming to introduce Kichiruka. How did you go about introducing someone you've known about without telling your friends for so long? And if he had a bad experience with some other village's miko it was small wonder as to why Kichiruka was so skittish about meeting other humans. What if he got frightened and accidentally hurt someone? Kagome might be nice to him, but what about the neighbors? While Inuyasha had been around forever and Shippo and Kilala were small, harmless-looking even, Lord Sesshomaru still made them uneasy after all these years.

Rin remembered the raw scorch marks on Kichiruka's face from earlier that afternoon. _So why didn't you at least give them something to be scared about?_ she thought angrily. _Kichiruka, you're such an idiot. _

Pulling the sword at her side a little tighter, Rin wondered if it protected soft-headed demons, too.

oOo

As summer struck with warmer temperatures that riled human blood and spurred on battle plans, local lords would start seeking wives to ensure an heir for future generations. Sesshomaru growled under his breath. He would _not_ have his hand forced by humans.

_Keeping a girl-child is expensive…_

If neighboring demon clans deemed him insane or, worse, _soft_, they so far demonstrated the sensibility to keep it to themselves. Everyone knew the situation, but at least yokai – for all their pride – would mind their distance and not give a second thought to courting a human. They'd sooner wait another stretch of centuries for the Western Lord to sire a legitimate successor and thus claim a longer contract with him.

But if he could find a strong enough match, or if Rin continued to improve, it was one less hurdle to deal with. Even after Jaken returned from scouting the premises, Sesshomaru diligently searched the wind currents a second time before he continued his walk to Rin's village. _No one_ would follow him today.

Little grin imp in tow, Sesshomaru pushed off lightly from the ground, clearing the brook marking the village outskirts in a single bound. The season's heat was gradually encroaching upon the region and, he splashed couple of claws through the cool, clear waters. Hand cupped, he dabbed at the sides his neck. Then grimaced at a saline scent.

_Salt? In a freshwater brook?_

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin bounded over the moment she spotted him. In the little recess since her promotion she was excited to see him again. He arched a brow. _Oops, guess 'grown-ups' curb their enthusiasm._ But switching from bounce to glide in mid-step just made her feel dizzy.

Arms crossed, the daiyokai observed his charge's antics and the last vestiges of childhood that clung. There was still more to cover than a little self-dense. _Should he tell her about the suitors?_ He had fended off the few from last year well enough, and had only hinted about the situation. Now, months later, Rin certainly never broached the subject if she remembered at all.

_And she's just as happy without,_ he realized. With one hand resting on the hilt at her side, Sesshomaru easily recognized the imitation. She grinned up at him, just adoring. Caving to his instinct, the dog-demon offered the length of his arm. Rin hugged him tight enough to cut off the circulation. Armor was never any trouble.

When she hung on longer than three seconds Jaken started fussing about submitting Lord Sesshomaru to innumerable indignities and how dare any human get so close, yadda, yadda, Rin had the speech memorized. She made sure to squeeze Jaken twice as long.

"You're his representative," she oozed over his squawking protests.

"Rin," Sesshomaru droned when she finally unclasped his retainer. "There are other matters to discuss." Tilting his head toward the forest, he beckoned her to follow.

_Do I tell her? _The idea made Sesshomaru uncomfortable. Up until now, he had seen that Rin's responsibility to herself and others be kept within the village. Anything beyond her day-to-day activities was his to mediate. But this is a life-altering decision. And, where her welfare wasn't in immediate jeopardy, Sesshomaru did his best to provide Rin her options.

Keeping his eyes adhered to the trees, he decided to ascertain once more. "What would you say to an arranged marriage?"

"No," Rin said, chin tucked in and looking mildly insulted. "I'm working toward my own independence, aren't I?"

"Yes." Though the daiyokai found that only slightly less discomforting. Rin, out in the world, alone. _At least now she would last longer than fifteen seconds in a fight._ He smoothed a hand over his fur.

While Sesshomaru fell silent, Rin bit her lower lip, giving some further thought to the question. "Do I have suitors?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but not out of personal reservation. His nose crackled, and he stopped moving to get a better whiff. The winds shifted before he could be sure.

Still lost on the subject, other odd questions sprouted in Rin's mind: _Do I have a lot? How many?_ But it was the last that slipped out. "Are any of them handsome?"

"Rin," he warned with a hurried glance over one shoulder. Jaken joined the uneasy search.

"Yeah, I guess I shouldn't go there," she smirked, misinterpreting the admonition. "But what's the point of marrying if I'm expected to be a room ornament?"

"Rin," Sesshomaru said more sternly, claws cracking to the ready.

"Pah!" Arms akimbo, she stuck out her chin. "Give me four contending lords and I'll bet any one I pick won't–"

"Shut _up!_" Jaken shrieked, but it was too late. In their midst stood a brightly attired servant, now beaming with a smile he obviously didn't expect to have when delivering his message scroll.

"Well, perhaps this young lady need not look further than one lord," the courier said, oblivious to Sesshomaru's deepening frown for speaking out of place. "I carry a marriage proposal from Saito of your holdings in the east, Lord Sesshomaru."

Rin clapped a hand over her mouth. _Crap! _She didn't look at Sesshomaru's face, which she knew would be swept perfectly blank, but instead watched the thumb of one hand individually touch each of its knuckles, methodically popping every joint.

_Saito_. He would have recognized the crest on the vassal's lapel. Admittedly, Sesshomaru recalled with a greater degree of chagrin than conscience, this was a family he had been looking into as a "safety" plan some years ago. He now half wished this were Matsuka's persistent lackey before him; he would have been far easier to send away than a lord for whom Sesshomaru had once deigned a personal correspondence.

_Like a hound with blood whetting his palette_, the dog-demon thought grimly. "She has not yet chosen to wed." Sesshomaru drew himself up to his full, imposing stature, the bangs framing the crescent on his forehead parted with the rise in yoki.

Undeterred, a lavender sleeve gestured in Rin's direction. "But she has spoken for herself, asking for _four_ contending lords." The comment was followed up by an irritating chuckle that caused Sesshomaru to wonder just how one-dimensional a human's fear for his life could get. Wrist curling, he prepared to slash. Only a light voice stayed his hand.

"That is correct," Rin interjected. "I have spoken for myself."

Amber eyes widened and the Nintojo nearly slipped from numb claws. The messenger smiled smugly.

As though the situation were too surreal to bear, Rin could feel herself walking to accept the proffered scroll, conscious of every weighted step she took, but it was like being a third party observer. She could have been Sesshomaru or Jaken or even the merciless courier. Anyone one but the stupid girl with the loud mouth.

_I have to own my word or hold my tongue._ Otherwise the whole adult thing was just talk. Even if Sesshomaru would over look the matter in Rin's favor she knew that _she_ wouldn't.

_But if this was the adult thing to do_ – Rin felt the silken knot that tied the scroll like a chain in her hand – _then why do I feel so small?_

oOo

From the comforting waters of his brook, Kichiruka pressed the polished end of the conch staff to the bank, focusing on making the puddle he'd seen earlier in the field during his lesson grow and contract with every other twist of the rod. _Remote Control_ he remembered the section titled. Over the past weeks he'd gotten pretty good with it.

Abruptly, Rin hissed and Kichiruka quickly looked up to see if he'd missed something. He didn't. She all but ignored him. From the way Rin prattled it sounded like she just wanted an acknowledging presence more than actual input. Kichiruka remembered to sprinkle in a few "ums" and "uh-huhs" every so often. When her voice hit the "wrapping it up" pitch – as the closings of Tensai's lectures did – he set down the staff and looked up for any points she might recap.

"So, that's the long and short of it," Rin concluded with a tired little huff after relating yesterday's entire fiasco. "The scroll-runner's probably returned to his Lord Something Or Other – I think it's Saito, that's it – by today, so I guess we're setting out on in three days."

Kichiruka quirked his head to one side, pulling together the gist of matters. In his world, matrimony was a cause for festivity and most women did get married around Rin's age, or whatever the equivalent was. He made a mental note to figure that out sometime soon. "But you don't want to get married?"

"No! Not right now, anyway." Rin idly tore at the grass around her, sorting it into neat little piles. "And definitely not to some sort of stuffy overlord."

"So what're you gonna do?" Propping his chin in his hands, the water demon made a study of his coach; her brows drew together and her mouth was upturned in an unhappy little frown that no amount of jesting would reverse. Absentmindedly, she chewed her lip, nibbling on possibilities.

"In order to grow up I have to be accountable for myself. That means owning what I say." Rin bowed her head, conceding. "So…I'll check it out."

"And if they are suitable?"

"Tch, like any one of those self-absorbed popinjays are worth it!" Rin's bravado quieted and she pulled her knees up to her chest. "To tell the truth, I just want out."

Tracking the hiccupping flight of a short-winged sparrow as it sought the refuge of a branch, Kichiruka carefully formed his next question. "How would one…disqualify a suitor?"

She laughed and the water demon was relieved to hear it chorus again. "Oh, I doubt that's very difficult." Rin rolled her eyes. "Betcha most of these guys are so puffed up with their own egos just about any foul up on their end would shame them from trying for a second go."

Claws tapped to a spotted chin.

_And a little help never hurt. _

.

_A/N: To the readers who have just picked up "Hooked," welcome aboard! To everyone, thank you all for reading and I hope you're enjoying this little story for the summer. More to come!_


	22. Trout Smarted

_A/N: Life would be easier if I had reliable internet access. Thank you all for reading and being tolerant of my shaky updates. I hope you enjoy the little character cameo featured in this chapter. See Episode 78: Only You Sango. _;)

**Trout Smarted**

Rin grimaced, rubbing the dark, bitter substance over her teeth. _Who invented these stupid customs anyway? _She saw nothing wrong with what nobles called "the tombstones of the mouth." Blackening her teeth just seemed to suck the sparkle out of her smile. But, according to Jaken, this lord was a strong traditionalist. _That is to say, someone who probably has a lot in common with Lord Sesshomaru. _

Buffing the looking-glass with her sleeve, Rin glared at the toothless girl. "I hope you're happy," she grumbled at the reflection. "If I get married, we'll – er, I mean, _I_ might have to do this idiocy every day."

Looking around, Rin suddenly appreciated her little living space, wishing she could stay there forever and not go out into the golden dawn to greet some lord who would only appraise her as chattel.

Sitting in her one-room hut, she analyzed her small collection of worldly possessions, many of them gifts from Lord Sesshomaru: several sets of clothes – more than most of her neighbors – a writing kit, an ivory comb, and her "shadow teeth" – Rin fondly tapped the ornate handguard of her blade. There was also a charm bracelet to ward off evil – _but not small, sticky children_ – from Miroku, a hand-me-down kettle from Kagome, and some sketches from Shippo of birdies and butterflies. _Guess those days are over._ With a long drawn sigh, Rin tightened her undergarments and reached for up a bright yukata when something heavy and solid clunked out.

_A rock?_ Rin shifted under the silk until a flash of sapphire winked back at her.

_A gemstone!_ She turned the sapphire over in her hand and remembered it was an odd gift from Kichiruka. _One he claimed "wouldn't break,"_ Rin thought with a roll of her eyes as she held the fractured half. Tucking it away into her obi, it made her feel a little more confident like just after the water demon had listened to her story the other day.

"Hopefully I didn't just hex myself with Kichiruka's clumsiness," she joked to herself. Then smiled. How odd someone could lighten your mood even when they weren't around.

Rin tugged on the platformed geta sandals, and staggering realization proved that it wasn't the sapphire throwing her off balance. Clinging to the wall's crevices, she regretted not practicing more ladylike disciplines – walking in geta one of them. _Wonder if this is how Kichiruka felt on Day One. _

Peeking around the tatami mat that covered the open threshold, Rin checked to see how much of the dawning hour was left. She groaned. _Very little._

When she set out to meet Sesshomaru at their usual site Inuyasha had been kind enough to curb his commentary and Kagome offered her gentle support as well as company on the short walk over. Gratitude swelled in Rin's breast when her friend set a pair of comfortably flat zori before her, saying, "We'll switch back to your real footwear once we catch up with Lord Sesshomaru."

"It's a look-and-see event," Kagome soothed as they continued on their way. "So it's not like you'll get married today."

_Okay, sure. I'll just probably get hitched tomorrow._ Rin felt herself pale under the makeup and tried to put on a brave face. "I _will_ see you again, Miss Kagome," she promised.

"That's the spirit!"

As they passed the brook, Rin found herself wishing Kichiruka would show up, make a distraction, find an escape, or at least give her a smile. For whatever reason, Rin was missing his big, goofy grin and its accompanying cascade of laughter.

"Hurry up and get on," Jaken gruffly ordered, leading Ah-Un by its reins. Sesshomaru stood wordlessly nearby, giving only the barest of nods in Kagome's direction. There, he had acknowledged her, now hopefully she didn't feel pressed to greet him as…

"Good morning, brother-in-law!"

Suppressing the urge to rake his claws through the miko, Sesshomaru settled for the fur on his shoulder. There were two girlish giggles at his bristled mane; he tolerated one better than the other.

"I'm sure this is an exciting occasion for, Rin," Kagome said, smiling up at the dog-demon.

"She's nervous," Sesshomaru sniffed, refusing to sugarcoat what his nose already knew. He looked at Jaken and Rin. "Let's go."

The daiyokai cast one final pointedly glare in Kagome's direction after her call for "Best of luck!" once they were in the skies.

The flight didn't last as long as Rin had hoped. It felt like after only a handful of minutes the fortress walls came into view and Ah-Un was tugged into a slow descent. But as she prepared to hop off, Sesshomaru held up a hand to signal that Rin remain seated as she was.

"Saito is a cautious man." Sesshomaru's arms were crossed into his sleeves and he glared into a corner of space. "Katana are prohibited indoors." Drawing his hands from their sleeves, he retrieved a slender case and delicately removed the lid to reveal a fan. "But the strong are always prepared."

Rin reached for the fan, its outermost structure of such finely lacquered wood it looked almost like ebony, and it appeared ordinary enough; until she lifted it and felt the weight of steel in its frame. _It is a tessen._

She looked at Sesshomaru who gave what Rin referred to as his "lightening smile" – it completely skipped his mouth, but went straight to his eyes, making them flash and the brows arch.

Zipping the fan open with a flick of her wrist, Rin saw that there wasn't much to the design; a simple red boarder with a second scarlet stripe that matched the tassel were all that graced the white background.

Rin smiled at the familiarity. "Where did you find it?"

"It was from an old friend." Sesshomaru shrugged as the wind kicked up. "Modifications were made accordingly."

"Thought so." She smiled. It had been a long time ago, but Rin remembered well enough. She snapped it closed and there was a light clink of metal. _You were strong, too._

As they made their way into the entrance, Sesshomaru leading the way and Rin astride Ah-Un with Jaken bringing up the rear, Rin noticed the fixed gazes of the castle guards. They dutifully stared straight ahead as if one wrong look toward either her or Sesshomaru would strike them dead on the spot. _Maybe there's an ounce of sense in that._

In the main pavilion the grand central hall sprawled before them, its scrolled rafters fluting from double rooftops of the two story structure left Rin feeling small The finished columns and . On the veranda, at the top of a small set of steps, stood whom Rin presumed to be the lord of the grounds. Dressed in dark, conservative colors, he wore pleated, unsplit hakama His sleeveless short-jacket with its looped fasteners was similar in style to the gray one Kichiruka always wore. Somehow the angular shoulders looked sharper on this man. As they drew nearer, Rin got a better look of the daimyo's face and started estimating ages. Each guess placed him at old enough to be her father. Saito's face, tan and leathery, had a well-lived-in quality. It was also looked lean and hungry, the tufts of a carefully groomed moustache outlined his thin mouth.

_Please be the lord's father. _

"Lord Sesshomaru," the man with the moustache greeted. "I, Saito Tsutomu, cordially welcome you" – he tilted his head to look around the daiyokai and peer at Rin – "and your company to my humble grounds."

Rin ducked behind Ah-Un's twin heads like she did as a child, trying to keep both unseen and unheard. _So much for that._ Courtesans murmured behind their fans and passing servant exchanged speedy remarks. A daiyokai and a two-headed beast-of-burden were too much to ignore. Jaken seemed to be the only one _trying_ to make his presence known.

Clearing his throat, Saito continued, "Come, you must be exhausted after your journey out here." He motioned toward the main structure. "Would you join me for tea?"

At Sesshomaru's cue Rin dismounted, took a moment to steady herself against Ah-Un, and followed after. Even though his gait never faltered, Rin could have sworn she heard the demon's feet drag. If she didn't know better, she might have been inclined to think he despised these rituals as much as she did. _Maybe there's more than one reason why Lord Sesshomaru travels around on "patrols" rather than staying at home. _

Just as the daiyokai had warned, Saito politely requested that "those who were not the Western Lord himself" leave their utensils of self-defense at the entrance, assuring that they would not be tampered with otherwise. Jaken insisted that his Staff of Skulls was a tracking device, no more.

"Master Jaken," Rin whispered. "No one was even looking your way."

The imp harrumphed. "Well…just so they know."

In the hall's foray, Rin gratefully stepped out of her geta. And noticed that as Sesshomaru remove his own footwear the demon schooled his features into a dispassionate expression, but his displeasure was plain enough in his stiff, jerky motions. A neat pair of magenta stripes marked the outsides of his ankles and his toenails clicked on the tatami mat like diminutive claws. Rin smiled at him, wriggling her own toes inside her set of white tabi. Sesshomaru huffed; only she could turn his irritation into amusement.

_I'll need it. _

Once they were sealed inside, the full scale tea ceremony commenced. As much as Rin liked the aesthetics of the ritual – she had only attended two formal ones in her life – there were too many concerns cluttering her mind to actually focus on the scene. _Am I really supposed to marry that old man? _She winced quietly at the thought of consummation. _And what about the other people living here? _From her peripheral vision, she caught glimpses of whispering ladies and snorting men. Rin got the sinking feeling they wouldn't be very favorable to the charge of a demon, no matter how powerful. _They probably doubt the status of my birth. I mean, what highborn family would give their daughter to a demon?...A cursed one._ She focused on her posture to keep from slumping.

Although he ignored it well, Sesshomaru was not blind to the abacus in the room. _Anything we say will be weighed for Rin's dowry. _When Saito finally shut up from listing his own suitable qualities and stopped asking Sesshomaru about Rin's, the daiyokai interjected, "Would you not like to speak to her?"

Saito considered this a moment. It hadn't crossed his mind that an interview from Sesshomaru with the girl's – _what was her name? _– presence didn't guarantee him a marriage, and thus a slot, into the Western Lord's retinue.

"I suppose, but a woman's a woman, is it not?" he said loud enough for the surrounding courtesans to hear.

A flicker of scarlet over previously clear golden eyes kept anyone from laughing.

"I cannot pronounce _you_ fit" – Sesshomaru tossed protocol aside and directly addressed Saito – "unless she claims you are." A breeze of yoki seeped into the air, lifting the long, silver mane from his armored back. An uneasy murmur rumbled through the guards and, reaching for hilts and halberds, they moved in.

Saito held up a hand. "Of course. That is a sapient observation." "The air in here is stifling, isn't it? Let us step outside and walk the gardens," Saito invited.

As their conversation meandered along – with more prattle on Saito's part than Sesshomaru's – Rin studied the garden. There was an austerity to it that, although was no doubt tasteful, made her feel just as dry and empty. She had seen Zen stylized terrain before, but it was different when the gardeners cared for their work. You could feel their souls in it. _It's almost like Saito has it just to have it._

"Like what you see, little one?"

A surprised _eep!_ escaped Rin even as she clapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted around for Sesshomaru, who was ringed by set of the most courageous of Saito's bootlickers trying to rub elbows. Golden eyes flashed in Rin's direction. _Go on. Look-and-see,_ they seemed to urge. It was _her_ idea.

"The garden is…appropriate for one of your station, Lord Saito," she managed pleasantly enough.

The remark seemed to placate the lord and his moustache quirked accordingly. He stepped in a little closer.

Trying not to fidget, Rin shuffled toward the greener half of the garden. Separated by a manmade mote and conjoined by a small, cherrywood bridge, the other half of the garden didn't have any trees or cultivated flowers. _Just a stretch of grass and some brush here and there. _But it was better on the side they were currently on. With mincing steps, Rin hurried on to the bridge.

"So, your Lord Sesshomaru said it is you who chooses the fitting man?" Saito followed closely behind.

Rin cringed at his unctuous tone and equally oily grin. It wasn't until after she was on the bridge that she realized what a mistake that was. _Great. First rule of combat: don't limit your space._ The narrow timber railing barring her escape didn't help. _Now it's not like I can throw him over and say he slipped._ Focusing on getting to open territory, Rin managed to _trit-trot_ a little past the arching center of the bridge, a few more steps and she'd be across. _In these sandals, those steps might as well be a mile._

Suddenly, she felt a heavy, calloused hand wrap come down on her own. Crows' feet popped up like arrow markers at the lecherous glint in his eyes. Rin tried not to glare at the lord. "Do you try to seduce every girl upon first sight?"

Saito leaned in. "Who me? Young lady, I'm a gentleman," he breathed. "I don't seduce…I woo."

_Eeew! Too close, you dirty, old…!_ Clumsily, Rin backpedaled, but her platformed geta slowed the effort. She went for the tessen, but Saito already had her wrist locked in his grip. He stepped forward…and suddenly the planks beneath him gave. The befuddled lord might have had a chance at covert recovery if he had just dropped into the pond. But in his panic he had stuck out his arms at the last second and now found himself caught on the bridge's frame. The misfortune compounded when his hakama didn't quite make it all the way out of the gap with him and billowed around up and around him.

He cried out and there wasn't one courtesan or servant who didn't see – or wouldn't claim that they hadn't – the bare legs of Lord Saito kicking frantically under the little pond bridge.

Kneeling daintily, Rin collected her fan.

"Little orphan wench," Saito snarled. "Show some class and help free me."

"Of course." Rin smiled sweetly and whacked the sharp-edged tessen against the lord's knuckles. He gave a girlish yelp as he dropped into the river with a loud _ker-plunk!_

When Saito tore a lily pad from his head his pride was already in shreds – the girl's laughter, his people's chuckles, and Sesshomaru's little lackey clucking his tongue.

"I suppose we'll have to look elsewhere." As Jaken ushered her from the scene, Rin glanced down the little stream. From the cattails on one side of the pond, Rin glimpsed a familiar spotted face. Kichiruka spared just enough time to wink, then flopped to his side and disappeared into the water.

_How'd he find…? Thanks, Kich'. _

oOo

Word that Sesshomaru's ward had requested four contending lords got around quick and every envoy was chomping at the bit to gain his master's favor by securing a spot in the coveted three remaining positions. For his part, the daiyokai wasn't sure if he was to be apathetic to or privately mortified by the fact that he had encountered so many irritating people in such a short span and not eviscerated one of them. A mere decade ago, Sesshomaru wouldn't have given the action a second thought. Rin really was putting him to the test. He half hoped that for all this trouble she would at least take to one of them.

But the next suitor didn't fare very well either. Nor the one after him. There was always some fault that came up. Some of the men were much easier to deter with their short tempers and inflated egos, requiring only menial setbacks to addle their focus: a fall from their mud-stuck horse, a water-rotted beam collapsing in their meeting halls…

"I liked the one where the paint started running from his wallscrolls," Rin said, finally enjoying a free morning to sit by her favorite brook.

"Yeah, pretty cheap junk there." Kichiruka laughed. "And what was up with that last lord, anyway?"

Rin slapped a hand over her eyes, fending off a fit of giggles. "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be his bride or his babysitter!" When she moved her hand to peek at her yokai friend, Rin noticed a slight dampness. "Say, what happens when laughter leads to tears?"

"Well, that's easy," Kichiruka began. "You…uh, that is…" He tapped his conch staff to his chin, humming thoughtfully.

Rin filled in the gap for him. "You don't know."

The water demon grinned. "Never laughed that hard, I guess."

"Then thanks for giving me the opportunity." Rin beamed.

She was always sure to thank Kichiruka for his efforts. He didn't quite mind. The exercises kept him busy and his mind quick. Actually, it was fun helping Rin take out these guys one at a time. It wasn't like she ever fancied any of them.

And, in a little dark piece of himself, Kichiruka privately hoped Rin wouldn't.

oOo

_Okay, bring on number four. _

"Lord Sesshomaru, do we know this man?" Rin idly scratched behind one of Ah-Un's four ears.

The dog-demon passed a hand through his shoulder's mane – a dead giveaway to his uncertainty. "Kohaku's family does," he said smoothly enough.

"So then even Kohaku doesn't know him."

"Not necessarily. His sister is simply the most familiar." Sesshomaru glued his eyes to the horizon.

_Hoo boy. _"Who is this daimyo?"

"Takeda no Kuranosuke."

It didn't ring any bells for Rin. _And far be it from wedding ones_. A short while later when they arrived at the grounds, she had to remind herself not to conspicuously look around for Kichiruka. _If I accidentally give away his position…_Well, she didn't exactly envision Sesshomaru going up to thank the water demon for his help. _Or "unnecessary assistance" as Lord Sesshomaru would say_. It sounded fancier than "meddling."

So instead, Rin considered the young lord before her. He looked a couple years older than Kichiruka. _So about mid- to maybe late twenties_, she estimated, relieved he wasn't nearly as old as the first suitor. _Takeda,_ she reminded herself. His little smile even had a certain sparkle to it. Takeda was amicable without being pushy and, maybe it was something in his scent that mortal noses missed, Sesshomaru seemed relaxed enough to let him and Rin stroll into Takeda's gardens unaccompanied.

Rin smiled appreciatively at the scenery: a small stream that emptied into a green pond with living carp and carefully pruned flora accenting the perimeter with their colors. It was well kept without being overdone.

"So how is good Sango faring?" he asked eagerly.

"Quite well," Rin answered, relieved to discuss a simple subject that didn't involve figures and dowries. _And someone of whom I can speak highly_. "Since last summer she's given me lessons on basic defense. Though she's long retired from demonslaying to take care of her family."

"Family?"

"Yes, she's married to a monk, Lord Miroku, and they have" – Rin chewed her lip trying to recall – "four children right now, expecting their fifth….Something wrong, Lord Takeda?"

"Oh, no. Nothing." Takeda distractedly gazed to a far off cloud. "That's wonderful news."

_Oh, I see. _Her heart went out to the poor man. _He's been waiting around for a while now._ False hope for something that was never to exist…Rin knew what that was like.

Tapping his staff to the side of the bank, Kichiruka brewed a waist-deep mudhole a ways closer to Takeda and his advancing steps. Of all the suitors this pretty boy deserved her the least. The doofus was still staring forlornly out at the skyline. He wasn't even looking at Rin!

_What an idiot. _

There was a satisfying _squelch_ when Takeda found himself up to his chest in muck. Kichiruka quietly snickered, until Rin shot him a glare over her shoulder. _What?_ Instead of sidestepping the unfortunate lord she stopped to help drag him out of the mess!

_Hey, what gives? Don't you want out?_ The sea-demon slipped dejectedly under the garden's tiny bridge. _Well, what do I care? _

But he stuck around to see what would happen next. The tall yokai, the one Kichiruka assumed to be Rin' guardian, showed up. His back was to the bridge, so Kichiruka couldn't see his face, but he got the impression the demon was analyzing the situation.

_Good. If he knows what's best for her, he'll dismiss this Takeda guy and maybe just go for a fifth round. _

Then, Kichiruka felt his hopes plummet. _What the hell?_ Still not turning in his unseen spectator's direction, the silver-haired demon nodded to the smiling pair and strolled along his way back out of the garden and toward the central hall, his retainer following close.

Slipping dejectedly under the bridge, Kichiruka growled and the water around him grew agitated even in the enclosed structure. _This isn't the time or place…_ But before he teleported back to the ocean, Kichiruka couldn't help smacking a fist into the water with all his might.

_What_ do _I care?_

_._

_A/N: Oh, and a thank you to the anonymous reviewer who marked the 200th review to "Hooked"! My gratitude to everyone who's enjoying the story!_


	23. Chum

_Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I respond to all reviewers with profiles so long as the function permits (ie. if I have not replied to your review, please check your account settings that allow for private messaging). Since I'm off for this summer I try to update about twice a week…maybe a little more frequently this coming week with a certain festival underway. _;) _Last order of business, "Sparring" may be found here: fanfiction . net/s/4698199/1/Sparring (please remove spaces). Thank you! _

**Chum**

"Did you do something stupid again?" Tensai drawled from behind his desk, not once glancing up from the tablets he poured over. He could have been inquiring about the weather.

"No." Kichiruka scowled at the jellyfish that canopied his teacher's study. When he returned to the ocean he hadn't been much in the mood for sulking alone.

At the harsh tone of his typically lighthearted pupil, Tensai looked up. Kichiruka's mouth was taut and his brows furrowed deep. _He's truly upset. This is a development._ Clasping one hand over the other, the sailfish rested his chin over them and analyzed this new posture.

"What?" Kichiruka snapped, feeling his teacher's stare burrowing into his back. "Is it so difficult to believe that I might not be the most foolish creature on this earth?"

On another day, Tensai would have thrashed his student for taking such a tone, but the older demon harbored his own theories. "I thought you said you had an appointment with your coach this afternoon? That you would a be while?"

There was only a terse grunt for an answer.

Selecting an empty vial from the stony shelf beside him, Tensai popped off the stopper, then quickly recapped it as several air bubbles escaped. Before they could flee much closer to the surface, Tensai waved a heavily webbed claw and beckoned the bubbles' return. They banded together, sharing the air amongst them. As a closed fist turned into fanned fingers, the bubbles merged into a singular sphere and expanded accordingly.

"This is your coach, is it not?"

"Huh? Move over." Kichiruka shouldered his way over to stare into the sphere that hovered just above Tensai's palm. The mists inside cleared to reveal a small of image of Rin in a meeting room of sorts. The demon abruptly looked up at his teacher. "Wait a sec, have you been spying on me?"

Tensai shrugged. After their first five years together, the older yokai had given up on keeping tabs on his pupil. Kichiruka was already fully grown when they'd met, so Tensai granted him the privacy owed to any other person. "Just the first time you left for the inland. Huh, and you got caught in a human net of all things! I had to make sure you weren't washed up on some bank gasping or skewered through. Humans _do_ do that sort of thing, you know."

"You don't say." Kichiruka's voice dripped sarcasm. _And it's not always with a spear_. He looked back into the sphere. The green toad thing was still hanging around, but the demonic nobleman was gone.

"She's got a room for the night?" he asked aloud.

"That's not where she lives?" Tensai snorted. "And here I thought you had at least the sense to select a coach of similar class."

_She's really considering…?_ "I gotta go."

"Kichiruka?" Tensai stared at the rift his student left on transition – still swirling like a vertical whirlpool. _All this fuss for one mortal girl…? Oh, dear. _

Reaching under his desk, Tensai found another vial that had nothing to do with lectures and took a deep swig.

oOo

"I can see why so many clamored at the chance to meet you," Takeda said as a servant poured a second round of tea then drifted soundlessly from the room. "You are a fine young lady."

"I just abide by ordinary custom, but I thank you, Lord Takeda," Rin answered in the most polite fashion, softly and just a little self-deprecating. _So, this guy was hung up on Sango while I was still thinking about Kohaku._ Rin smirked mirthlessly. There was a certain irony to it.

_But if Takeda's still interested in Sango why would he be interested in me? _Turning the question over in her head curiosity won out and Rin asked, "How did you come to seeking a bride?"

He chuckled, it was noticeably more conservative than Kichiruka's bray, but Takeda seemed to relax a little more. "Oh, you know how counsel and advisors start to get on you. One moment you're in prime of your life and the next you're supposed to be obsessing over your legacy and finding someone to have your heir." "I ignored them thoroughly for quite some time. Then one of my men returned saying there was this young lady in Musashi who I was told kept company with yokai…"

Rin saw an expression flicker across Takeda's face that said she wasn't exactly whom he was expecting.

"And what a find it was!" he said with canned enthusiasm. "I think a union of our houses would be favorable, don't you agree?" Takeda surveyed, subtly shifting the topic.

Rin fidgeted at the proposal and unnecessarily smoothed her yukata.

He made note of her unease. "How discourteous of me. I apologize for asking such a taxing question after you've had such a long day."

"Oh! No, Lord Takeda, it's my fault for being so slow to act." Rin hated this pussyfooting around – _maybe I got just a little too used to the candor Inuyasha's company _– but it would give her time to think. Except what was there to think about? _All I'd be doing is moving from Point A to Point B and wind up being just as stifled here as there._

"Spend the night." The lord's eyes were set and sincere, brooking no refusal to his hospitality. "Your judgment will no doubt be much refreshed after a night's reprieve."

_I guess…_

Outside, arms crossed at the wrists, Sesshomaru leaned against the wooden railing. He stared out the garden and the protective barricade beyond. Takeda must have made point of leaving the daiyokai to his peace since for once there were no poky courtiers or side-glances from servants to disturb him. Sesshomaru was left to himself – Jaken wandered off to inspect the grounds on his own – and he could listen with ease to the conversation inside, letting the humans proceed with their excessively decorated form of tail sniffing without worrying about his imposing presence.

Still gazing straight ahead, the dog-demon's ears perked at the light sound of laughter. _Takeda's_.

If Rin chose this man she wouldn't be too far from Kohaku's village. _And very much still in my vicinity._ Yes, there would be worries, but at least the concerns would be domestic and the dog-demon wouldn't have to keep his nose on high alert to pinpoint wherever his venom was being called upon.

She could stay here, with a spouse, and be content. _But is that the same as happiness?_ In the years since Tenseiga's first "test subject," Sesshomaru's knowledge of humans had broadened somewhat beyond the negative attributes he knew so well. There was generosity, loyalty, and compassion. Through the time Kohaku spent with him and his encounters with Inuyasha's clan he observed that, like canines, humans also preferred the company of a pack. And mates. The daiyokai thought of Kohaku and his rappa fiancée, the affection they exchanged – mildly nauseating as he and certainly others must have found it. But they were content and romantically happy, prepared to someday have a family and spend their lives together.

Then the ruckus of Kohaku's sister and the monk's family came to mind with all its screaming, shouting, and fracas. Sesshomaru shook his head to clear the thought. One step at a time. First he wanted Rin to find such a relationship. _Then any amount of chaos is tolerable._ Though he was beginning to grasp that this reaction could not be planned.

_But is any true bond ever forged? _

He certainly never expected a little human waif to trail after him like a lost puppy or to find something along the lines of respect for his half-brother.

_So we search for the best possible character with the best possible situation. _

Sesshomaru couldn't say that he _liked_ Takeda, but he could find no reason to revoke the match. The lord was established, his borders were secure and the neighbors were on as good terms with him as his own subordinates. _And he's_ – the demon weighed the title in his mind before deeming it quite appropriate – _a gentleman_. Sesshomaru particularly appreciated the fact that Takeda was capable of courtesy without infirmity.

_I suppose…it is the positive side of neutrality,_ the daiyokai conceded.

So when Rin stepped out to tell him she would be staying the night he had no objection.

"Do you want him?" Sesshomaru remembered to purge the eagerness from his voice.

"I'll have to think about it." Rin propped her elbows on the fencing and Sesshomaru scooted over some to make room. Keeping his gaze straight ahead, he studied the conflicting emotions in her scent. "I'll make my decision tomorrow morning," she decided.

Locking eyes with her, Sesshomaru nodded assuringly. He would be there. "Jaken," he barked, calling in his retainer across the courtyard. A jerk of his head in one direction signaled they were to depart.

The imp blinked up at the third member of their party. "And Rin?"

Plucking his cap away for a second, she pecked the imp on the head, much to his garbled curses. "See you tomorrow, Master Jaken."

Takeda's accommodations were lavish. And still Rin had trouble getting to sleep. Just the thought of getting drowsy was proving to be a task to say nothing of the answer she'd have to dredge up in the morning. Again and again she replayed how tired she must be, how early she rose, how long the ride was…_How betrayed Kichiruka looked at me. _

She flopped restlessly from one side to the other, each feeling hot and lumpy. Flipping from her back to stomach, she only succeeded in tangling the sheets. She gave up and just set her head against the stiff pillow.

"Psst! Rin!"

She sat up to the sound of gravel pecking outside the room. Wiping some stray grains from her eyes, Rin never realized she must have fallen asleep. Couldn't have been long, it's still dark out.

The gravel hit again and this time a rock sailed through the open window.

"Ow!"

Outside, Kichiruka smacked a hand over his face. He would miss the huge panel and just make it through to clunk Rin on the head.

"Mmm…Kich'?" She stumbled from the room and out to the planked veranda.

"Down here!" came the loud hiss. Claws hooked into timber, the water yokai hung on to the wooden railing, his weight supported on the elbows while the rest of him from the knees down trailed into the surrounding pond below.

"Kichiruka?" Rin was wide awake now. She looked down to see a pair of luminescent eyes; reflecting whatever moonlight there was they glowed an unsettling bright green. Then when they blinked with a quizzical innocence and Rin relaxed a little. "What are you doing here?"

"What's up with you?" Kichiruka whispered accusingly. "I thought you wanted no part of any of these guys."

"Yeah, well, the purpose _is_ to find a match," Rin countered defensively giving little thought to her own initial purpose.

Sharp ears flinched. "So this is it? You're sure that this is the freedom you sought?"

There was a sharp inhale as Rin drew breath to deliver a speedy retort, but nothing came out. Her mouth closed with a click of teeth.

"And you already love this lord?" Kichiruka pressed.

Rin frowned. The words "that's not important" died stillborn in her throat. She finally came up with, "…I think I could grow to love him."

"Love never seemed like something you're supposed to think about." Kichiruka stared at his claws for a moment; the webbing looked heavier than he thought he'd gotten it down to and the dark spots on his hands more pronounced. _Where do I think I'm going with this?_

A lantern flickered inside and someone called out to Rin. Even though it was still a ways down the open-air corridor, the approaching light lifted the darkness just enough to bring out the true-blue in Kichiruka's eyes.

"Do what you want."

Then, without another word, he dropped into the pond.

oOo

After that night, Kichiruka dedicated his waking hours entirely to texts and training. It kept him busy and Tensai pleased. Neither of them mentioned the surface or any of Kichiruka's dealings with it.

With his due diligence, handling the conch staff came more naturally. He wasn't fumbling for the right stance or words anymore. At least when he picked it up now Kichiruka felt more confidence – and disappointed he hadn't polished his skills like this sooner.

_"Do you even know how to use that?" _the months' old question still echoed in memory back from when he'd first received the staff.

Kichiruka remembered his answer well, a shoddy, hedging, "Its secrets will reveal themselves to me in due time."

And now that he got a couple of them down…_Well, I can't show them to you now, can I, Rin?_

Scarcely a week had passed before Kichiruka wondered what sort of perversion bid to him to return to the brook. It wasn't out of habit. He was much too aware of the circumstances to simply forget. But when the gnawing to just "check it out" continued, he caved. With more than a little reluctance, the water demon envisioned the long cattails of the stream bordering Rin's village and forced his body to relax. When he opened his eyes, everything was as it was. Bright, sunny, warm – a perfect summer's day.

On his first trip inland, early in the spring, he'd run into Rin. It was suddenly strange being here without her and, even though birds chirped in the trees and a pair of rabbits raced out across the field, it was terribly empty. Dipping under, Kichiruka swam a little farther upstream…until he bumped into a net. Refusing to get entrapped again, he pushed it away and poked his head out of the water. And, just like the first time, there was Rin. A string of fish in her lap, she held a cleaning knife in her hand, appearing just as bewildered as Kichiruka felt.

"You came back."

The water yokai blinked and brown eyes returned his blank stare. Neither was certain who'd spoken first.

Recovering quickly, Rin shrugged. "Takeda has a bit of a history with this family in my village. I pointed out it wouldn't be a healthy match for him," she said primly. "Besides, I'd miss my friends here."

She reached into the brook and, finding his hand, squeezed two of Kichiruka's fingers.

When Rin leaned in he could smell the sweet, salty perspiration on her skin. Somehow the ocean no longer carried the same scent of home as this girl did. She was better.

Gently curling his claws, Kichiruka squeezed back.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews always appreciated!_


	24. Fluke

_A/N: Odd fact I learned on the first (and only time) I went whale-watching way back in the fifth grade – when the whale's tail is peeking out of the water it's called by the same term as "a stroke of luck;" it's a…_

**Fluke**

Hot, sweaty, and panting, Kichiruka might have enjoyed the exertion if he actually got to observe it beyond the perspiration muddling his vision. Physical activity, he noticed, had a way of making Rin's clothes conform to her figure in all the right places. Now if only he weren't being forced to toil under the summer sun at his rookie level and just, as Rin said, enjoy the view.

_I loathe this hill._

Although he had gotten a bit stronger and could match Rin's pace up the slope on only his second try, the water demon despised the taxing steepness.

_She's going to kill me going up this thing. _

"C'mon, Kichiruka!" Rin called. "See if you can run uphill."

_Affirmative. She _wants_ me to die. _

While he wondered if it was natural for humans to drop to all fours, especially on slopes, he looked up in time to see it all – or rather, Rin – go down. The rock. Rin's foot. And one nasty fall. She cried out.

"What's wrong?" Kichiruka was at her side in an instant, kicking away the offending rock. Examining her quickly, he scanned for broken bones or worse.

"I think I sprained my ankle." Rin gritted her teeth and clutched the joint.

"What's that mean?" He wasn't too familiar with simple injuries, much less human ones that involved legs and all that.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Rin ground her teeth. "It means that in a few short hours my ankle will swell to the size of a grapefruit if it's not treated properly and I won't be able to walk for at least a week."

Blue eyes dilated. "You won't be able to walk?"

"No," she moaned, hissing slightly for want of something cold against the sprain. "I need to get back to Lady Kagome."

"Who?"

"The miko in my village. She's trained in healing." Rin noticed her friend's face blanch to the sickly white of a fish's underbelly. "You don't have to come. I'll manage to get back on my own. Sorry to cut it short today." Rin started to slide slowly down the slope. _I can use the sword's scabbard as a crutch when I get to the bottom._

Kichiruka's mind whirled between getting the living daylights zapped out him again and picturing a giant grapefruit clamped over his friend's frail ankle. …_Hm, on second thought, is that really what it will look like? _He quickly refocused. This wasn't just any damsel in distress, this was _Rin_. And she'd spoken of this priestess before…

A surprised yelp bleated out of Rin's throat as she found herself suddenly scooped up like a sack of rice. "Easy, easy," Kichiruka mumbled, jostling her into one arm as best he could manage. "I'm taking you over there." With his free hand he gripped the conch staff and gestured with it. "You live down in that village, right?"

"Yeah, but…" The protest faded in the wake of the demon's incantation.

Hanging on to his neck while the rest of her curled awkwardly around his torso, Rin could feel the reverberations of the chant that droned in Kichiruka's chest. He spun the conch staff, then from its shelled tip glowed a brilliant ball of light. The radiant sphere crackled like lightening, but instead of electric heat Rin felt a biting frost puff from it. Suddenly, on Kichiruka's bark, the ball unleashed a bolt that froze the turf it struck into a smooth slab of ice.

"Wouldja look at that," Kichiruka nodded approvingly, "I got it."

He whirled the staff again, chanted a shorter verse – _or maybe a continuation?_ – and this time paved a whole icy path down the hill toward the village. Kichiruka made an effort to put at least four bends in it. _Hopefully that'll take some of the speed off. _

"What's that for?" Rin asked, her voice quaking. She had a sprained ankle and didn't want broken bones on top of it. _Please don't say…_

"We're going to slide," Kichiruka declared.

"What?"

"Don't fidget! There's not much time before this path melts, so hang tight." She dug her nails into his neck. "_Urk!_ Good enough."

"Hey! Do you know what you're doing?"

Setting one foot on the ice, Kichiruka tested its slickness. "In my head, yes," he answered, and jumped on.

For the second time that day, Rin shrieked, but, swallowing her pulse, she dared to watch. The world whizzed by, trees and bushes blending into solid green blurs like heavy-handed brushstrokes. Wind whipped past, streaking tears down the sides of Rin's face. She wondered if this was what everything looked like when Sesshomaru blurred into motion. _It's probably less terrifying! _As Kichiruka zigzagged down the grooves of his path at breakneck speed she could feel bile scalding its way up her throat and tried focusing on the little clamshell patterns on his shirt. It helped. Sort of.

"Uh-oh." The demon's grip tightened.

_What's that mean?_ Peeking through bleary lashes, Rin noticed a certain flaw in the plan. "We're running out of ice!"

"I can see that!" Kichiruka took aim and shot out another ice beam. "Hang on!"

They were airborne the next second, but Rin's cry was cut down to a yip as they pounded into a sudden landing, ice shards flurrying around. Kichiruka winced as his knees absorbed the shock. Biting his tongue, he kept coasting.

Rin heard some frantic clucking. "Don't freeze over any of the livestock! Or people!"

_I don't plan on it_. The ice shots were coming in spurts now, which worked just as well. Coops, stables – they'd already flown past the rice paddies – Kichiruka could pick out the familiar surroundings of a human settlement.

"Comin' in for a landing!" Sorry for turbulence, he apologized silently. Without any more ice to coat their way, they tumbled into the dirt. Kichiruka had just enough time to tuck Rin's head into one shoulder as he staved off the impact with the other. The water demon came to a stop on his back, his human cargo sitting safely on his stomach. When the world stopped spinning, he stood up and, cradling her in both arms now, searched for a friendly face among the gathering villagers.

"Where is the priestess Kagome?" Kichiruka bellowed, looking at everyone in turn. Instead of helping, the people either fled to their hovels or brandished what farming tools they had in hand. They all kept their distance.

From the parting crowd stepped a decidedly inhuman figure, his head topped with dog ears and his glare flashing with golden eyes. _Yokai?_ He had a mane of silver hair that reminded Kichiruka of what little he'd glimpsed of Rin's guardian. But there was something significantly different about him. Although this aura was palpable, it was hardly consistent and fluttered unevenly.

_A half-demon_, Kichiruka realized. His eyes widened when the hanyo drew a blade that transformed into a formidable fang, easily as long as Kichiruka was tall.

"Never thought I'd see the day when the demons started comin' to us for an ass-kicking." Inuyasha postured with Tetsusaiga. "Put the girl down an' maybe I'll go –"

"It's all right, Inuyasha," Rin said hastily, a plea in her voice. Keeping one arm slung over Kichiruka's neck, she staggered on to her better foot. "He helped me get over here."

"She needs help," Kichiruka appealed, drawing a shaky breath himself. "Her ankle…" he trailed. It was getting difficult to talk. He cleared his throat, but it felt parched.

"Kichiruka, are you okay?" Rin rubbed the soaked fabric of the demon's jacket between her fingers. _He's drenched. _She looked back at Inuyasha who'd since lowered his blade. "Please, get Kagome – quick!"

"She's already on her way. If I could sense that guy coming" – Inuyasha jerked his chin at the water demon – "then…Hey, back off!" he snapped at the villagers who were starting to close in like hounds on a kill.

"Inuyasha, do you know this strange demon?" inquired one man with a spade.

"Rin says she does, and unless any of you are looking to answer her _protector_ I suggest you leave it at that." Keeping Tetsusaiga bare in his grip, he moved closer to Rin and the oddball.

"Do you see the priestess?" Kichiruka asked, but the words came out chalky so there were brief pauses between his words.

_Is he drying out?_ Rin's concern turned to panic. She looked back at the ice path only to find most of it had already melted, leaving only muddy tracks and the occasional puddle for any reference to their direction. There definitely wasn't any real water to be had of it. Suddenly, Kichiruka sagged under her arm.

Inuyasha caught Sesshomaru's kid before the bizarre yokai hit the dirt. "Who is that guy? He reeks of salt. And what's this about your ankle?" He sniffed and caught a whiff of ruptured blood vessels. "Sprained it?"

"Yes, but that's not—"

"What's going on?" Kagome rushed to the scene, catching up the injured girl to her side.

"Miss Kagome!" Rin cried, forgetting her own pain. "Please, my friend needs water right now!"

Hearing the desperation that cracked his little friend's voice, Inuyasha turned to his neighbors. "All right, who here's got some water on them?" He searched the crowd, but experience taught him he might as well have been talking to dumb cattle. Some of the on-lookers just went about their business, a few others shuffled their feet, none of them moved forward. _Damn, stupid, mindless humans._

"We do!" volunteered some little girl's voice and one of Miroku's daughters ambled her way to the front, her arms weighed down by a sizeable water bucket.

"Those are supposed to be for Mom," her sister chided, following after with a similar load.

"But this is import'nt! It's an emergency!"

"Shaddup an' give." Inuyasha snatched up the offers while they existed. "Thanks, girls," he added gruffly. "Go get your old man. Tell 'im to get to my place." As the twins raced off he splashed the bucket over the demon's head.

Kichiruka spluttered, spasmed, then lay still.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped at his behavior.

"If he's dehydrated, then he can't drink it all at once. Ain't healthy." Going for the second bucket, the hanyo tried to dribble the contents a little more like watering a daisy. "Damn, try to do somethin' right…" he grumbled, then in a louder voice, asked, "You awake?"

The demon's eyes fluttered open and Inuyasha found them an annoying color, one that reminded him of an old rival.

"Th-thank you," Kichiruka rasped.

_Well, at least this one's got manners. _

Blue eyes rolled in their sockets for a moment before recognizing the red and white uniform of a priestess. _The miko found her._ Sure enough, Rin leaned against the other young lady. He wanted to offer his gratitude to her as well, but all that his muddled brain transmitted was a nod to the half-demon and, "Look Rin…someone around here…has my hair color…" He chuckled, then lolled and fainted again.

"Damn, lost 'im." With a grunt and a stutter-step, the hanyo slung Kichiruka over his shoulders. Then a calloused hand waved under his nose.

"Need some help, Inuyasha?" The extended hand lead up to the warm eyes of a matured local.

"Hey, Rikichi." He offered a crooked half-smile to one of the semi-decent villagers. Rikichi was a hard-working man, always the first in the fields and the last to leave. And, some way or another, he managed to be very attentive to his family on top of it. Inuyasha certainly couldn't deny the fellow any of his respect.

"I heard all the commotion and hustled on over as fast as…" His voice trailed as he examined the yokai yoked over Inuyasha's shoulders. "Demon hunting?"

"Yeah, not quite your average sport," the hanyo said in turn. "Say, got a basin we could borrow? I think this guy's dehydrated."

"Of course! I'll drop it off at your home, if that's all right," he said, looking at Kagome who nodded appreciatively.

"That'll do well, thanks." Inuyasha bobbed his head, then turned to Rin and Kagome. "C'mon let's quit wasting time. Get outta the way!" he barked at the last remnants of the crowd that hadn't dispersed.

_This guy_ – Inuyasha locked his arms under Kichiruka's legs – _is going to have to learn that he got damn lucky today. Not everyone's as kind as his friend_. He felt a faint flicker of yoki at his back. _Or as stupid as to bring a demon home. _

oOo

When Kichiruka came to he felt stiff, like the first day of walking all over again. His muscles burned and everything cramped up. When he realized he was on his back, Kichiruka tried propping himself up on his elbows and pain seared through his abdominal. It took him another minute to notice that the two outermost layers of his clothes had been removed and that, although they left the abbreviated hakama and dark blue leggings alone, he sat in his simple, white undergarment. All things considered, it only bothered him slightly compared to the desert in his throat.

_I need water._

"Water's to your left." The woman in priestess' garb smiled at him and Kichiruka's mind immediately flooded with more important concerns.

"Is Rin all right?"

"Just fine, thanks." Rin tugged on one of the spikes on his head.

Relaxing a bit, the demon slipped a hand into the basin provided. In less than a minute all the water it held was gone – _ah, better_ – presumably absorbed back into Kichiruka's body.

"Well, damn, if he can do that we should've just thrown him back into the pond."

"Inuyasha!"

Kichiruka chuckled. "It's all right. That would've worked, too."

"But you wouldn't have ventured back into the village either," Kagome pointed out.

Their guest shrugged.

"Rin told us all the trouble you went through to help her, ah, Kichiruka, right?"

"Yes, m'lady. Though it was no trouble at all."

Kagome smiled. "You're very polite. Where do you come from?"

"The Seas under Lord Ichikawa's domain."

Kagome interpreted the ripple in Kichiruka's aura as a demonstration of his oceanic origin instead of the defensive reaction it was, so she pressed her next question. "How long have you known –"

"Ah, Lady Kagome, if I may," interjected a man in monks' robes Kichiruka hadn't noticed before. "Perhaps it would be better if we introduced ourselves to our honored guest first." He turned toward Kichiruka with a smile, hoping to ease the yoki that danced nervously in the air with some levity. "Pleasure to meet you. I am Miroku, a simple monk who resides just down on the other side of the village."

Kichiruka blinked. "All I noticed was a large structure on that side. It looked like a mansion."

Miroku laughed good-naturedly. "Well, I do have a growing family."

"And a greedy palm," Inuyasha coughed into his sleeve.

As the conversation carried on from the monk to the miko to even the half-demon's and Rin's commentary, Kichiruka noticed the way everyone else was seated – aside from Rin, who was injured – and did his best to mimic properly. Keeping his posture erect, he knelt and planted his fists firmly on his thighs. This position worked fine…for a few minutes. After a while, Kichiruka started to feel the tingling in his limbs spike to a prickling sensation that only worsened with each passing moment. _How are they all managing?_ His eyes darted from one human to the next, each obviously accustomed to enduring this torment. From the corner of his vision he noticed one of the company chuckled lightly into his hand.

"Why don't you just relax, friend?" the monk offered. "You're in no formal company, so although we appreciate the gesture none of us expect you to remain _seiza_ throughout the conversation."

Kichiruka sighed his relief. "Thank you…ah, Lord Miroku, correct?"

The monk waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Just Miroku is fine. Save titles for public appearances." Then, leaning closer to study the creamy orange tool at Kichiruka's side, he asked, "Does using that, ah…scepter?"

"Staff," Kichiruka corrected lightly.

Miroku nodded. "Does using that staff always leave you in this condition?"

"No…or at least it shouldn't," the water demon said. "I just taxed myself too much this time." Kichiruka regarded the conch staff. That little trial run just toasted me. I'll have to get stronger.

"Well, I can see how," Rin spoke up. "You just brought ice out of nowhere!"

"No, that ice had to come from somewhere," Kichiruka said matter-of-factly. "I don't know if I can load the conch staff yet, but my body is mostly water. So long as I replenish it, I think I'll be fine."

On that note, the conch staff tooted an angry blare making everyone in the room jump.

"Hello?" Kichiruka sighed into the seashell's cusp, bobbing apologetically to his company.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" a voice snapped from inside the conch though there was obviously no one inside it.

Miroku and Inuyasha started. This was Rin's second observation so she only twitched. And Kagome blinked. _Like a cell phone_, she compared.

Mouthing a silent "pardon me," Kichiruka excused himself outside. Passing a laundry line he noticed his clothes were hung out to dry. _Well, that's awfully considerate_, he thought even though he could have done the same task with just a clap of his hands.

Leaning against the back of the hut, he continued the conversation. "Master Tensai, I'm in good company right now and would rather not be interrupted." Passing villagers gawked at the odd demon talking to himself, so Kichiruka crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. They looked the other way. "Honestly," he spoke back into the seashell.

"I don't care if you're talking to the bloody Lord of the West!"

"Who?"

"Just shut and listen!" Tensai roared and Kichiruka could've sworn he saw spit come flying out of the conch staff. "You tried using that quick-freeze technique, right?"

"Mmm…"

_"What's that now?"_

"Yes, Master Tensai."

"But you didn't prepare the staff with water beforehand, so you had to draw upon the water content in your own body, correct?"

"Considering that you have all the stats on my health, is that a rhetorical question?"

Tensai cut loose a string of profanity that ended with, "Well, don't you try doing that again until we practice more!" His voice pitched in a strange way Kichiruka had only heard twice in their dealings.

"Awww…are you worried about me?"

"Pay attention, dammit," Tensai scolded. "I ought to strip you of that instrument today! I don't think you realize the magnitude of this technique."

Kichiruka stretched languidly. "Oh, what's a month, a year even, here and there?"

"More tests will be necessary before we're truly certain. So to avoid shaving off centuries here, don't go using the conch's matter-altering properties or giving away any of your personal techniques like _last time_."

"I know, I know…" It took a fortnight to live down the lectures when he tried granting Rin's wish. _Whatever did happen to her asking me for a refund?_

"We can't have complete strangers using our trade secrets," Tensai continued, then mulled over this a moment. "By the by, what sort of company are you keeping?"

"Ah, got to go, Master," Kichiruka hedged.

"We're having a talk about that 'coach' of yours when you get back! Do you hear—?"

Kichiruka crossed his hands six times over in a series of kata, then waved them over the shell. It went pleasantly silent. _Had to learn something in that week_. He smiled smugly.

When he stepped back inside, adjusting the buttons on his dried short jacket, Kichiruka looked around for Miroku. "Went out," Inuyasha said, so the water demon settled down by Rin again.

"Sorry to tell you, Kichiruka." Kagome wrung out a fresh cloth and pressed it to her young friend's ankle. "But Rin won't be moving for a while."

"That's fine." He sat down. This priestess was surprisingly friendly. Kichiruka knew he should have been more wary, but if she didn't kill him when she had the chance – _if Rin trusts her_ – then there must have been something truly good about her.

"Is it all right if I stick around? I want to see what you do just in case this happens again."

"Oh, aren't you a sweetie!" Kagome gushed. Rin rolled her eyes.

Kichiruka just watched intently. "Will ice help bring down the swelling?"

"It's all right, Kich'!" Rin rapidly waved her hand in a discouraging motion. "It's not necessary."

He smiled. "Don't worry. I can use this water." Reaching into the basin he extracted a fistful of water that, with a word, froze into a solid block.

"Now that's handy," Kagome appraised. With a nod of gratitude to her guest, she wrapped up the small ice block and pressed it to Rin's ankle.

"Eeek! Cold!" On reflex, the girl thrashed, then Kichiruka caught her ankle. She stopped moving. He stared back. Kagome grinned and waited to see who would blush first.

Getting up, Inuyasha snorted. "Better go see if Miroku needs any help, he's always got his hands full." When no one followed, he added, "Hey, Kagome, couldja come with?"

"Oh? Sure." She rose to follow the half-demon, then asked, "Are you going to stay and keep Rin company, Kichiruka?"

"For bit," he said as Rin swiped the ice from him and took care of her own ankle.

Once they were outside and had put some distance between them and the hut, Inuyasha addressed his spouse. "Look, I know you like your little girly hearts-n-sparkles crap, but…" He paused to vigorously scratch the back of his head. Whatever Inuyasha said next would make him uncomfortable. "Can it wait 'til the kid finds a _human_ guy?"

"Inuyasha, you can't possibly be against that!" Kagome's brows knit together. "Are you?"

"Tch, 'course not," he blustered, taking a bit of offense at the thought. "So long as he doesn't pull anything, I don't give a hang," the hanyo snorted. "But it's not my opinion that matters in this situation. If those two really start _liking_ each other, guess who'll get his fur in a bunch."

Kagome's smile didn't go out completely, but it certainly lost a few watts. "Oh…right…"

_I guess we don't want Sesshomaru deciding Rin's new friend is better off served on globs of rice. _

"So, I might not have anything to say against it," Inuyasha continued, "but I wouldn't encourage it, if you know what I mean." Dropping the subject, he turned at the presence of someone rounding the corner.

"How's Rin and our new friend doing?" Miroku cheerfully inquired, a wide-eyed Shippo on his shoulder leaned every which way to glimpse snatches of their visitor without leaving his perch.

"They're just chatting right now. It seems they've known each other for a while," Kagome hinted.

Miroku smiled and Inuyasha heaved an exasperated sigh.

"So that's the guy Rin's been going off to see all this time?" the young fox-demon whispered and everyone shuffled a little closer together. "I never thought Rin would go for someone like that."

"What do you mean, Shippo?"

"Well, you'd think with Sesshomaru as an example she'd have a little more…aesthetic taste in guys."

Kagome laughed. "You think he's ugly?"

"Those weird blotches all over him certainly don't help," the kitsune opined.

Miroku chuckled. "Perhaps our Rin has a thing for freckles. Kohaku, after all, was no exception."

"Keh," in spite of himself Inuyasha couldn't resist adding his two cents, "either that or I guess it's true what they say about love being blind an' all."

They all peered in to see Rin cracking up as her odd companion with his rubbery yokai features stretched his ears, cheeks, chin and eyelids into a series of ridiculous faces. Kichiruka said something and she clutched her side with the next wave of giggles. He had her laughing like they hadn't seen since she was small.

"No, not blind," Kagome corrected, picking up the conversation. "It just sees what matters."

.

_A/N: Rikichi is a character from the "Final Act" sequence of _InuYasha_, popping up in episode 22 (I think) and the closing of the last episode. He seemed like a nice guy and I might use him for a filler again. Thank you for reading! More to come soon!_


	25. Kaiba

_A/N: Although many of us "Yu-Gi-Oh!" fans may make other connotations, this chapter's title means seahorse, a species in which the males carry the young. _

**Kaiba**

Sesshomaru never paid much heed to the calendar of human ceremonies. Such things were beneath his consideration and cluttered his focus. Mortals, _short-lives_, were called such because their existence was temporary. Their seasonal revelries were of no consequence because the only ones who remembered them were the humans of the last generation. There was about as much meaning in the construction of an anthill.

Or at least that had been his reasoning some ten years ago.

Now he could tell exactly what event was less than a week away: the Obon Festival.

The festival itself wasn't Sesshomaru's concern. He didn't care for the fanfare that assaulted his senses – blaring, pounding music, gaudy costumes, loud gossip, and foods spiced, sweetened, and pickled into an incomprehensible medley. He cared for none of it. It's what happened a near decade ago that he recalled. They never called it Rin's birthday, but the three days before the holiday started to serve as a marker for her age.

_Seven going on eight back then…_ Amber eyes widened as the daiyokai made the next calculation. _Nearly seventeen summers old now, eh?_ Such rapid growth for such a short amount of time. And the clarity with which Sesshomaru recalled it never changed.

oOo

The little child was an odd lot. Tenseiga was supposed to heal all wounds, but for whatever reason the girl-whelp remained mute. She gestured occasionally: tugging on the reins of Sesshomaru's steed when she needed rest, touching her mouth for thirst or hunger. Rarely, these gestures were accompanied by a slight vocalization, a hum or something like it.

On this particular day, the third since she'd joined them, the girl-child hadn't made any Sesshomaru gave her a sidelong glance – he wasn't sure _why_ exactly, his ears and nose told him she was there. _Inventory_, he decided. The girl was strange with her slight lapse into regression. Yesterday, she came very close to speaking for the first time since he'd known her; but, whether it was mettle or mechanics that failed her, the girl's mouth worked up and down without a peep. She just ended up bowing with a shy smile and Sesshomaru accepted that as thanks enough. _She smells the better since._ A site to bathe and a set of new clothes – if he was obliged to keep the human he would do it. The Western Lord would not stand for anyone remarking that he didn't mind what was his.

And she kept up. When her feet tired she had the gumption to clamber up on to the dragon-steed and, with some prompting on his part, she had enough wits to go in search of food. All in all, he tolerated the extra tail, the girl-whelp made little trouble for Sesshomaru so long as he didn't have to go out of his way for her.

Until that third night when they neared a human settlement. She dawdled a moment to stare in its direction, seemingly mesmerized by the glowing torch lights and music that drifted on the muggy summer air. Although she didn't look away, she didn't smile either. Sesshomaru was unsure if the girl wanted to make sure they avoided it or if it was a wordless desire to enter it. Either way it wasn't on the dog-demon's route and he continued their trek…Then a sudden tug stayed him.

"What is it?"

"Unn…" the girl mumbled, with the hand that wasn't clutching the flowered sleeve she pointed toward the village.

"Say what you want, brat. And unhand Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Jaken." The daiyokai's tone was clipped.

"M'lord?"

"That's a human festival out there, isn't it?"

"Yes…" Jaken's claws curled around the Staff of Skulls. "They call it Obon. Candles are lit in memory of the dead and set upon small boats in a river. Presumably for safe passage to the afterlife." He stared at his feet, rather ashamed to volunteer the breadth of his knowledge on such a lowly subject. It wasn't his fault his clan had once lived near a human establishment.

But if Sesshomaru found that this information lowered his opinion of Jaken, the daiyokai gave no inclination. He looked at the girl. "Return here afterward."

She didn't budge. She simply stared at him with that uncomprehending expression as if to ask _aren't you going to come, too?_

"No." She could go or stay. It didn't matter to him. He'd already presented the choice.

But maybe it wasn't too clear because she found a large rock and settled upon it to stare in the direction of the town. She wasn't demanding that they go _to_ it.

_But she's not moving either. _

Sesshomaru frowned in annoyance. Did this qualify as obedience or defiance?

With no small amount of disgust, he stalked in the direction of the town. "Jaken, stay. You" – he looked at the girl – "let's go."

Upon entrance to merely the fringe of the town, the demon was only dimly aware of the small child that trailed after him, preoccupied by the loud throbbing of drums, high twangs of biwa and waterfall notes from flutes – if Sesshomaru hated the cacophony the girl didn't seem to notice. Rather, if her glittering eyes were anything to go by, she relished the whole sight…from the security of standing behind Sesshomaru's hakama.

Suppressing a growl, he strode closer. The sooner the urchin saw whatever it was she expected, the sooner they could go. _Wherever that may be in this chaos._ People crawled everywhere. Sesshomaru debated flaring his aura just to clear a path, but unleashing pandemonium where there was already near imitation of it seemed to defeat the purpose of making this a brief and untroubled visit. Some people held their breath when he entered, others were so caught up in the festivities they hardly noticed. None of them looked particularly threatening. From the corner of his vision, Sesshomaru eyed the girl. It would have been such a simple thing to leave her here: she would stay and he would no longer have to worry about some human waif.

But she held fast to him. He couldn't just shake her off.

Then something caught the girl's eye. A fan – simple, folded scrap of paper on a twiggy frame – accomplished what Sesshomaru had been trying to do since he set foot near the town: it got the girl to let go of him.

Stooping, she picked the grimy thing up, examining it with the rapt fascination so common to children. Twirling it by the stem, she fluttered the fan this way and that. Where one side was plain white the other had painted upon it the kanji for hope. The little girl probably couldn't read, but she seemed enthralled by the strokes composing the character all the same.

Sesshomaru quickly pinpointed the stand from which the fan must have been bought. _Or cast off._ It was a shoddy wooden structure, obviously only set up on money-making occasions such as these, and the owner dozed behind the makeshift counter. He snapped to attention at the sight of a demon approaching his stand.

"I will take a fresh one such as that," Sesshomaru ordered, nodding in the direction of the girl with her fan.

Either the man was drinking or very stupid – _perhaps both_ – because he hooted, "It's good enough for a brat, then it's certainly good enough for a demon." The man guffawed…until he found himself yanked halfway over his stand.

"A clean one, if you please," Sesshomaru said gently, his most dangerous tone. "With the same inscription," he added, loosening his hold somewhat. "I would not care to write it myself in your sullied blood."

The human hopped to, babbling apologies and pleaded for his life between telling snippets of his family at home. Sesshomaru set three copper coins on the counter – more than enough. At this point he was paying the man to shut up.

Whirling around to collect his tagalong, Sesshomaru nodded to her find. "Get rid of that. We're leaving."

With one last doleful gaze to her fan, she dropped it back on the ground where she found it.

There was a soft patter of bare feet as the girl trotted after him, apparently content enough to leave after the small amount of the festival she had witnessed. It wasn't until they had put some distance between them and the town that Sesshomaru handed her the little fan. She stared at it then back at him with the same plain-faced awe, had the dog-demon dropped gold into her palms she couldn't have been more astounded.

Accepting the gift with both hands, she offered a 'thank you' in the sincerest way she knew how; the girl grinned up at him, wide and open – there was a glaring gap where her tooth had been knocked out.

_From the last time she was among humans, _Sesshomaru remembered. But all the way back to where he'd left the other two, she skipped happily after the daiyokai, her souvenir waving as if they'd just made some spectacular conquest.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken hopped to his feet and started running at the mouth. "I'm so glad you've returned! I hope you weren't met with any trouble from those foul humans and…what on earth is she doing?"

The little girl chased after fireflies, then halted her pursuit to dance among them, fan waving in the air. She didn't talk, but her smile was bright and her mouth open for any opportunity of a sound.

And one came out. First by itself, then a series.

Sesshomaru looked up. _She laughed?_ Looking down, he noticed the baffled expression on his retainer's face. _Hopefully, no mirror of my own._

"Progress," Sesshomaru said by way of explanation.

And in more dimensions than the daiyokai could fathom at the time, he was right.

oOo

A year later, when the festival came again, Sesshomaru did come to let Rin stay in the village where it was held with the peace of mind that she was among friends and an old maid she was beginning to consider family. But the three days before that – _which would have made it a year since she was first revived _– Sesshomaru presented her with a small paper fan. _Serenity_ that one had read.

Jaken watched his lord turn over the little fan in his hand, trying to see what character was painted on this one; it had taken the imp two years to figure out that the daiyokai had started writing the calligraphy himself.

This was the one time a year Sesshomaru allowed them to venture so close to the human village. Considering what happened last week with Rin's ankle. Jaken recalled how deeply his master had frowned. Rin didn't look any more pleased either. There was a brief lecture about personal care, but came down to all of them being relieved that the injury was much less serve than anyone had guessed. Rin would be ambulatory again in time for her "birthday."

Sesshomaru always made a point of clearing out the entire day. This year he postponed a long-awaited meeting with another yokai lord in the North. Since he hadn't provided an explanation, they would have to leave as soon as Rin was returned the following morning.

"Guests should never be rushed," the dog-demon said with a careless shrug.

In private, Jaken rolled his eyes at the light tone his master affected. Heaven help anyone – human or yokai – who got in Sesshomaru's way. And once Rin was with them, they went wherever she designated – even if it was just to roam aimlessly through the woods and wind up camping out just a few miles short of home.

_Just the three of us, like the old days, _Jaken reminisced. He appreciated that Sesshomaru kept him around for the day. The little imp, after all, had been there, too, when they acquired Rin.

"Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken," Rin greeted, her mood as sunny as the day. She never carried more than the bare essentials with her; Sesshomaru was pleased to see that not only was the blade among them but that the young woman no longer walked lopsidedly to compensate for its weight.

"Are we going?" Rin asked.

"Yes." The dog-demon minded his pace. Next to her voice, the patter of Rin's feet trailing after him was a sound Sesshomaru cherished, it was the first he had heard from her when he learned she would follow him wherever he wandered. And one he knew would someday sorely miss.

As twilight was overtaken by nightfall, Rin knew what was coming next. After more than a few hints and outright pleas on her part, Sesshomaru finally relented and withdrew a small, wooden-framed fan.

Rin smiled, eager to see what this one read. Well before Kagome had returned from her world after a three-year absence, Rin's education had been taken into account. Although Kaede knew of the script for charms, seals, and mantra, it was with Sango that she learned the practical writing systems for native and foreign words. When Rin had asked Sesshomaru about the keen interest Kohaku's sister had taken in her literacy, the daiyokai explained it no further than a debt owed from the final stand against Naraku. It would be a few more years until Rin was given the full explanation.

Nonetheless, although Miroku knew quite a few himself, she always came to Sesshomaru for kanji. He only taught each character once, leaving Rin the responsibility of practicing on her own – and being prepared to read a set of instructions whenever they unexpectedly appeared in her home or in a new gift. Unorthodox as it was, under the dog-demon's tutelage, she mastered well over a thousand, besting most people and certainly many women for the time. The little fans had become something of quizzes.

Now she studied the character for a moment – it always took a good minute to make heads or tails of Sesshomaru's hand. "'Courage,'" she read, triumphantly smiling up at the daiyokai. Then Rin giggled to herself and silver brows quirked to be cued in. "Is this courage for you or for me when I go off on my own?" she asked.

Turning to study the starry skies, Sesshomaru made no further comment. Rin and Jaken exchanged a look before settling comfortably against Ah-Un's scaly bulk. It was a familiar and somewhat familial pattern for them.

But when Rin fell asleep under his watch that night, amber eyes returned again to the blade at her side. He had provided her the strength and she had worked to develop it. _Progress_. She could stay or go. _And somehow it matters._ With this newly realized power, Sesshomaru wondered if Rin would remember to share her day with him wherever her travels would lead.

.

_A/N: I rather like Sesshomaru's idea of birthday cards. This chapter was partly inspired by the link found here:_

anhso. net/data/9/Dung0502/518550/sess,rin97759. jpg (please remove spaces)

_On a cultural note, the Obon is a Japanese holiday, usually held in midsummer or at the end of it, that commemorates the dead; you might say the Western counterparts are Halloween and el Día de los Muertos (personally, I find the latter a better description since Obon is also predominantly about giving reverence to dead ancestors, minus the sugar skulls). Offerings are made and floating candle vigils are set adrift to guide the lost souls of the departed back to the other side. Obon pops up in anime rather frequently, such as (here's my second cross-anime reference for the day) in that one Pokémon episode Season 1: The Ghost of Maiden's Peak – back when the show had quality. Depending on region, Obon rituals vary, some more festive than the others; admittedly, Obon has gone the way of many holidays and lost much of its spiritual value. My interpretation will be featured in the upcoming chapter. _

_August 15th, or Hachigatsu Bon (Obon Festival of the Eighth Month; note: "O" is an honorific) is this Sunday. Check Google for local festivities._


	26. A Lure

_A/N: I would have liked to post this chapter tomorrow on the actual Hachigatsu Bon, but as time and Net access go, better be safe than miss the holiday all together, huh? Back to fishing puns…_

**A Lure**

Rin had said that humans weren't nocturnal, so Kichiruka's bemusement for this "advanced lesson" increased tenfold when his coach scheduled their meeting for after dark.

_Just as well. Tensai quits pestering after a certain hour anyway._ But Kichiruka hadn't expected such a sight when he arrived at the usual spot.

The whole length of the brook was set aglow with tiny boat lanterns bobbing downstream, the water shimmered with the sheer number of miniature crafts set adrift. All together they simulated the bathing glow of a sunset, very nearly turning the night back into day.

_I guess _this_ is what she wanted to show me._

Climbing out and quickly drying himself, Kichiruka searched for Rin. People parted when they saw him coming.

Those who held torches drew them closer and someone complained about forgetting his spade. Kichiruka could feel their glares on his back. One woman jerked her child away when he passed. _Maybe demons aren't supposed to be at human occasions like this._ But then he spotted Rin and her friends. When he was at their side it was much easier to ignore everyone else.

"What are these for?" he asked, pointing at the pair of lantern boats Rin solemnly set into the water.

"It's part of the Obon ceremony," Miroku supplied from where he stood over the girl and water demon, leaning lazily against his staff. "We place these lanterns into a river or stream to guide the souls of the departed back."

Kichiruka turned at the soft crunch of grass as someone settled beside him. "Is there anyone for whom you'd like to set a lantern for?"

"Thank you for your consideration, Lady Kagome…I'm not sure if…" He paused. "I'll take one please." She patted his shoulder. Although the two weren't related there was something startlingly similar between this miko and Rin, like a common kindness in their twin expressions. _Something in their eyes?_

"We have to take care on nights like these, though," Miroku warned, reeling in everyone's attention again.

Kichiruka nearly tipped his boat over. "Why's that?"

"The heavy gathering of human souls at this time piques the attention of many yokai in the area. Not all of them of such kind demeanor as yourself, good Kichiruka."

"So, soul-eaters, then," the water demon gathered.

"You could say that," Sango agreed, bouncing her youngest son on her lap while the rest of her children crowded close. "But many will draw even third-rate demons along for the ride just to feed on the quick as well as the dead."

"Then how have you all managed in previous years?" Kichiruka glanced from left to right, fingers gripping the grooves in his staff just in case.

"We usually do a clean sweep," Inuyasha explained, gesturing among Miroku, Kagome, and himself. "Kagome and I take care of the west and south, while Miroku double checks the north and east."

At these directions the monk's head jerked up. "I thought you were covering east this time?"

"Say what?" A silver ear twitched. "Whaddya mean I'm covering east? That's always your post, Miroku."

"I told you I would be cutting it short that day. Don't you ever listen?" the monk huffed. "And I have a wife and children to worry about."

"Yeah, and you screwing up doesn't protect no one!" At the half-demon's outburst several people nearby turned around, their eyes wide and wild.

"Inuyasha, calm down," Kagome soothed in a hushed voice in an attempt to keep from attracting further attention. "I'm sure we're well protected enough to—"

Sango stood up, a hand on her swollen belly. "The fifth one's coming out in I don't know how many more days and _you_" – her fingers hooked into her husband's collar – "didn't do your part?"

"First of all, I had to get back home. Remember when you were asking for an extra…"

"Don't make this about me!" the taijiya growled.

"All right, but these things happen and so far so good, right?" Miroku inhaled deeply before plowing ahead. "Now then, besides making ourselves weak with excessive worry, what are the chances of being attacked by any –"

"Yokai!" someone cried out.

"Yes?" Kichiruka looked around.

"Not you, vapor brain!" Rin clunked him on one side of his head. "Them!"

He whirled at the sight of a writhing mass of demons screeching toward their little ceremony. The swarm formed a cloud dense enough to block out the clear night sky and lurid eyes took the place of stars. Fangs oozed acid and coils lashed in anticipation. …To feed on the quick and the dead.

Kichiruka shuddered and pulled his conch staff up to his chest. He could try just once more, couldn't he?

"_Don't forget, no matter how many spells you learn or guises you perfect, you are still common yokai!" _Tensai's words rang clear in the water demon's mind_. "You can only do so much."_

Kichiruka looked back at his friends. For them, "only so much" wasn't an option. For people who had taken him in without question, it simply didn't equate.

_Master Tensai said no matter-making spells that use _my_ water content. Fine. _He looked between the frightened humans behind him and the advancing demons ahead. _But what about something else's? _

"Excuse me, Inuyasha," Kichiruka said, stepping in front of the blustering hanyo.

"Whaddya think you're doin'?"

Since "a test" sounded a little too precarious, the demon opted for, "Protecting my friends. Please stand back."

"Like hell!"

But Kichiruka wasn't listening anymore. Turning away from the torchlight, his eyes glinted their reflective off-green. Then, Kichiruka's voice dropped low and he clicked and gurgled in what Inuyasha would later describe as "a weird-assed, underwater chant." The punctuating whistle at the end forced the dog-demon hybrid to back off.

_What the hell kinda demon is he?_

Single-handedly, Kichiruka spun the conch staff, its hollow opening making a deep whirling sound with each revolution. From his place beside the water demon, Inuyasha stiffened; the ominous noise reminded him of the dark winds that once occupied Miroku's palm. Wrenching his transfixed gaze away, the hanyo noticed a swirling mist coming from the attacking demons. _And it's being sucked right into that seashell!_

At his side, Inuyasha heard Kagome drew in a sharp breath; the priestess was rattled by the stark shift in yoki and clung to her spouse's sleeve. As a half-demon, Inuyasha's aura emanated in timely spurts, pulsing like a heartbeat. There were gaps in between each beat, but it was steady – save for one night of the month, of course. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, constantly radiated power, its strength varied only upon his choosing. It had taken Kagome a while to notice, but Sesshomaru would often spread his yoki through an area, blanketing it so finely no one notice the presence until he flared it and the great demon's influence seemed everywhere at once. Kagome harbored a theory that maybe this was also a tool Sesshomaru used to his advantage when it came to abilities such as speed. If he – or at least his presence – was already there, then it's a breeze for him to coast closer.

But Kichiruka, as plain a demon as they came, was so simple and unassuming that Kagome's nerves shook when his yoki surged like a tidal wave. Crashing toward the mass of airborne yokai, it felt like he just barely reined the torrent in before it spilled over. _No, it's not entirely his aura._ _It's the collected strength drained from the other demons._ But she didn't see any transfer of the coiling essence that constituted demonic energy. _So where's he taking it from?_ Then Kagome noticed the fine exchange of mist between Kichiruka and the yokai. _That's…water!_

The demons in the sky looked as if they had aged millennia in a matter of seconds. Withered and crusted, they appeared entirely dehydrated. _From the staff?_ Their water content sucked dry, the parched yokai corpses fell out of the air and crumpled to the ground. Disintegrating on impact, they were dead before they even got in range of the opposite bank.

"Missed a few there." Raising his arms overhead, Inuyasha didn't get the chance to complete his swing as a barrage of icicles erupted from the conch staff. Not one was wasted as each found its lethal mark.

"Wow, that puts your diamond spears to shame," Shippo commented before the half-demon's fist found its usual spot over his head.

As the last body descended Kichiruka crouched for a moment to catch his breath. Rin knelt down beside him. "Something wrong?"

"Just a tad winded." He smiled. Good, no damage to himself this time. _So there, Tensai._ "Everyone all right?"

A town's worth of vacant stares gazed across the brook to the wasted demons, but no one found the strength to utter a peep. When the villagers' attention did shift it was to settle on Kichiruka with a mixture of awe and the fear that had been previously masked by earlier contempt. Kichiruka didn't feel too much better with this result.

Then a man with his young son pushed through the throng up to Kichiruka, a broad smile standing out on his face. "My name is Rikichi and my son and I would like to thank you," he announced, true gratitude shining in his eyes. Kichiruka hesitated. "Come, friend, aren't you hungry?" Without waiting for an answer, Rikichi turned back to the crowd. "We've got a couple hours until the festival comes in, so let's get our hero a dinner!"

Kichiruka broke into a grin. Now they were in business.

Mumbles whispered around as the crowd began to disperse and a few glances were tossed over shoulders. But this time, Kichiruka got a few smiles in return. It was enough for him as Rin and her friends clustered around him.

Golden eyes focused on the water demon for a minute. "Y'know, you could've just left it to us, show-off."

"Say, Inuyasha, ever wonder how much water is in your body?" Shippo piped.

Ears flattening against his head, the hanyo grumbled. "Keh. I was tryin' t' tell the guy to take it easy."

Conch staff in hand, Kichiruka laughed.

oOo

"So," Kichiruka said, finally surfacing from the bowl that held his third serving. "What happens now?"

"The Obon _Festival_," Rin giggled excitedly and the sea demon felt an answering pull bubble in his chest. She rocked back and forth on the bench outside of Kagome's house like a horse chomping at the bit. "This is the one time a year when a special magic dusts the village."

"What happens?"

"Around midnight, so in a little while, a parade comes." Rin's sentences came out in spurts just barely able to match pace with her excitement. "They're like a traveling group of musicians and performers. We put 'em up for a couple of nights and in turn they give us show. They discovered us last year and I'm thrilled that they're back again. Even though they're pros, anyone can join in the parade." Suddenly, she went rigid. "Listen! Hear those chimes?"

Pointed ears fluttered, and marked either side of a broad grin. With wide eyes, Kichiruka stood spellbound by the enchanting approach of lanterns and fanfare. It started out soft, just the jingle of chimes far down the village's central dirt road. Gradually the music became more layered, first adding the steady tempo of drums quickly followed by punctuating cymbals, then plucking strings. A flute's airy keen rang out and the parade was as palpable as it was audible. Bright garments and streamers glowed in the alternating pools of light cast by the roadside's torches. Shadows played off the dancers, lending heightened dynamics to their movements. It was easy for Kichiruka to pick out the professional performers from the plain participants, but it made little difference. He fancied himself being physically drawn toward the parade. Then realized that Rin tugged on his sleeve.

"Here's you lesson," she laughed. "Come dance with me."

The water demon hesitated; his clumsy sea legs wobbled, threatening to wash away months of practice and abandon him now. "Come," Rin encouraged. She swayed from side to side, the pastels of her yukata blending together like a fishing lure, drifting just within reach. Kichiruka hesitated. Dare he leave a chance like this floating?

He bit.

Starting with a plain old step, Kichiruka cautiously slid forward. Rin smiled and beckoned him to continue, but she spared a hurried glance for the parade as the tail snaked closer. _All right, we're joining now._ Boldly leaping forward, demon turned his tumble into a twirl. Rin laughed, delighted at the improvisation. Swiping a bright yellow ribbon from an unwitting performer's belt, Kichiruka swirled the strip through the air, moving in time with its tandem. Reaching over, he spun Rin around, then smoothly pranced a backward pattern. _It's …easy._

"Hey, you're pretty good," Rin praised, a little breathless and not entirely from exertion.

Kichiruka chuckled, sweeping up and around. "You never mentioned my lesson was laughing with my feet."

.

_A/N: This second portion of _Hooked_ was drafted on Live Journal's IY Themes community and won second place for last month's "holiday" prompt. Prompts are biweekly and anyone can enter. Check them out! Happy Hachigatsu Obon!_


	27. Hook, Line, and Sinker

_A/N: And now for a moment that's been anticipated by everyone throughout the story…_

**Hook, Line, and Sinker **

"He's coming!" Inuyasha burst through the screen door, very nearly derailing it. He thumbed Tetsusaiga's hilt in a reflexive reaction. "Now! Hurry!"

"Are you sure?" Kagome spluttered, her eyes dilated small and frantic. "Can't he wait? Rin isn't here right now and…"

"You think you can something like _that_ to wait?" Claws wrapped around Kagome's wrist and dragged her along. "'Sides, you're female, don't'cha know how to handle this crap?"

"I don't specialize in it!"

Kichiruka peered cautiously from the premises of a puddle just beside the porch where he heard all the ruckus. "Um, Lady Kagome, what's going on?"

"Nothin' you can make better," Inuyasha harrumphed, leading his wife indoors. "Just stay out of the way."

Kichiruka watched the door snap shut. Rin said she would be back by today, but she wasn't and now, with no one here to clue him in, his mind whirred for any information that would be at even remotely useful. Furrowing his brow, the water demon tried to remember the exchange of events when he last saw Rin three days earlier.

oOo

Hanging a wide-angled left on the east side of Miroku's porch, Rin swung around the corner and ducked for cover. She held her breath a little longer. Any sound could betray her now and she didn't want to be followed.

_I told Kichiruka I would meet him at the pond by midmorning…it's already past noon. He's going to think I stood him up. _She briefly wondered if he could trace her by scent. _Like a dog…_

The idea quickly faded. He was a sea demon and Rin couldn't remember ever noticing nostrils on fish.

Certain now that her pintsized pursuers were being held at bay by their parents, Rin exhaled with relief. Kaede trained her to help welcome children into the world, but she wasn't sure she could handle them after that point. _Certainly not right now._ Clearing her thoughts, Rin sang distractedly to herself. Making up little nonsense songs was something she carried over since childhood. _And it keeps the twins entertained_. But, crouching to put on her sandals, she hushed quickly as the puddle at the foot of the porch steps suddenly burbled, its surface area spreading as it bubbled over. Then three spikes poked out followed by the rest of Kichiruka's silvery topknot and bangs.

"Good afternoon, Rin dear!" he hailed cheerfully, apparently heedless of the mud he crawled out of. A few syllables and he was pristine again.

Stumped, Rin fumbled with the comb in her hair. "How'd you find…?"

His ears flexed lightly. "I could hear you. You have a beautiful voice." On a whim, he reached out and touched her throat, eliciting a surprised squeak.

"Could you please mind your personal boundaries?" Rin said tartly, scooting back.

Kichiruka blinked, not entirely able to understand this human fixation with space. "Is it an aversion to touch?"

Seeing the way he examined his webbed fingers, Rin sighed. _Great, have I insulted him somehow?_ "No, humans just like having enough distance to see the other person clearly."

_Ah._ "But I like studying details."

"Does your research have to be so tactile?"

Kichiruka ignored the question. "For instance, I find these very interesting." He traced the curved edge of Rin's ear with a finger, the points of his own fluttering. "No one in my realm has them like so. They're like seashells."

She curled away at the ticklish sensation of his breath in her ear. "Kichiruka!"

"Oh! Here, before I forget." He dug inside what Rin assumed was a breast pocket in his vest. Removing his fist, Kichiruka beckoned with his eyes for Rin to hold out her hands.

When his fingers uncurled, nestled in the girl's cupped palms was a pair of bright orange earrings, their elongated, spiraling ends like mini conic shells.

"Are they natural or crafted?"

"A bit of both." Kichiruka flipped his conch staff upside down and pointed to the shorn end, an inch or so shorter than Rin remembered it.

"It came from…?"

"Wait right here." Kichiruka's eyes sparkled a bright sapphire and he raced down to the edge of the porch. With quiet amusement, Rin watched him go from a yokai's twenty-something to a childish ten-year-old. Grinning, he raised the conch and whispered softly into it. She shouldn't have been able to hear it, but Rin swore the tiny shells said a gentle, "Can you hear me now?"

She looked from the earrings in her palm back to the demon perched on the veranda's edge, his grin sprouting a few more teeth.

"See? If I can teleport my whole body, I can't see why my voice – or anyone else's – would be impossible. The spell should hold, too, since I learned long-lasting enchantment recently," Kichiruka explained into the staff and the earrings quivered slightly as they relayed his voice. "Master Tensai says I passed when I showed him these. Never did tell him what they were for." He winked.

Rin smiled and spoke softly into the earrings. "So can you hear this?"

"Aha! So this is the vixen who's leading you astray, eh?" Both Kichiruka and Rin jumped at the snappish old tone emitting from both ends of their line.

"Master?" the water yokai squeaked.

"No, your mother. Yes, who else, you idiot?" Tensai railed. "And how dare you waste all I've taught you on a mortal!"

Kichiruka walked over to Rin, staff in one hand while he frisked the inside of his jacket with the other before withdrawing a scrap of paper, notes scribbled on it front and back. Rin watched her friend's eyes roll over the list. They widened a moment, then he waved a hand over her earrings. Tensai's diatribe went dead in there, now spouting entirely from Kichiruka's conch.

"Master," he appealed, "I'd appreciate it if we could continue this when I return?"

"Fine," Tensai snarled. "Get yourself over here right now."

"My apologies, but I'm on a mission right now."

"What? Your quest to get l—"

Kichiruka muted the speaker just in time. It would've been highly inappropriate material in a lady's presence. Compromising his proximity to Rin in exchange for privacy, he took the call elsewhere. But for all that badgering it certainly doesn't stop Kichiruka from finding his way over here, the young woman observed.

When he returned, she asked, "Aren't you ever worried that your teacher might disown you?"

Kichiruka tapped a hand to his chin and rolled his head from side to side. "Mmm…not really. I'm pretty much the reason Master Tensai has a comfortable situation."

"Oh?"

"The children of our sea's lord had recently left to seek their fortunes and Lord Ichikawa was going to dismiss their old teacher if he couldn't find further purpose for him."

"Well that sucks!" Rin huffed, sympathizing for the irritable demon. "I thought your teacher, Tensai, knew all these arcane arts. That's what you're learning, isn't it?"

Kichiruka nodded. "But it is a very competitive field with a combination of talent and dedication. And you don't often keep around someone who isn't willing to use such power outside the ocean."

"He doesn't ever come out like you do?"

"I'm sure Master Tensai has his reasons." Kichiruka shrugged. "His guise is considerably less human than mine. Claims he 'forgot' how to construct it." The water demon's tone suggested he thought otherwise. "Anyways, after he's done chewing off my ear, Master Tensai often forgives me with a new lesson. He's a little odd." Kichiruka smirked.

Rin giggled. She knew the type.

"In any case," Kichiruka stood up, "what do you think of this? I was thinking about a new dance routine for the Obon festival. Look."

Rin did. "You call that dancing?" she drawled.

Kichiruka popped his right shoulder and robotically swung the rest of his form with it. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Rin's head tilted to one side, her eyebrows scrunched and mouth askew. "Who the heck dances like that?"

"It'll catch on someday." He popped another joint.

"Ri-ight." Rin rolled her eyes. "Maybe in, like, another five hundred years."

Kichiruka laughed. "Sure, why not?"

Suddenly, a thunderous pounding set the veranda to shake. The wooden panels trembled under the stomping of many feet. Whatever was coming their way must have traveled in droves. Staff in hand, Kichiruka braced himself. "Yokai?"

"Ugh, the twins," Rin groaned, tucking her head against her knees.

Kichiruka was puzzled at this little remark of anticipated distress. "Twins?"

Suddenly, a pair of young girls – _probably about half of Rin's age_, Kichiruka guessed – bounded from the house, making a beeline for their babysitter. The girls tackled Rin in unison, and the young woman demonstrated amazing restraint. She was obviously used to this. Then – catching their visitor's gaze – the twins darted behind her, each taking turns to peek out from the cover of her shoulders. Looking up, Kichiruka noticed a little boy, perhaps two years younger than his sisters, running after and dragging along his toddler brother.

One of the girls stepped a little closer to him. Propping a wrist over his knee, Kichiruka knelt in consideration for her inspection. "Hmm?"

"Is Mister Demon here to help again, too?" she chirped.

Kichiruka blinked. _Mister Demon?_

"Yes, Mama's going to have another little brother –"

"Or sister!" interrupted the other twin.

"Or sis-ter" – a peeved look was exchanged – "for us soon."

"There sure are a lot of you already," Kichiruka chuckled, picking up the smallest. The little boy cooed as he was bounced on a knee. Then everyone wanted a ride. When Rin looked over again she could only make out the demon's twitching arm from under the dog-pile of kids.

"See what happens?" she tsked.

"Does Miss Sango really want more?" Kichiruka gasped when he finally surfaced. Someone tugged on one of his spikes.

"I'm not sure it can be helped," Rin snorted. "I swear, Sango must conceive every time her husband hangs up his—oh, hi, Lord Miroku!"

"Hello there. Having fun, Kichiruka?" he teased. No sooner had Miroku settled down on the porch his children rushed into his lap, each fighting for space. Setting one on his shoulders and couple more in his lap he made it work. Miroku had always wanted a big family; years as an itinerant made him appreciate the gift all the more.

"Someone's coming this way," Kichiruka announced, jerking a thumb toward a steadily approaching man in traveler's clothes.

Miroku stood and greeted the guest when he reached the porch steps. "Good afternoon. Is there something we may offer you?"

"Is this where I will find Rin, the resident midwife?"

Kichiruka felt the young woman beside him stiffen. Perhaps they were fearing the same thing: another suitor?

"Please forgive my rude intrusion," the man profusely apologized and prostrated himself in the same breath. "But I must be direct. I come from the humble town towards the south. Our local midwife has fallen ill and the headman's lady is soon to birth. We will need a professional substitute immediately."

He looked toward Rin expectantly, the first ray of hope brightening his road-wearied face. "It's a modest sum," he said, clunking a heavy sack down between them. "But would you be willing to accept?"

Rin stared at the obscene offer. She'd helped neighbors for a tenth of the price when they could afford it. _They must be desperate. But Sango's very near…_

"Take it." Miroku's wife slid the screen aside, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. She studied the escort's lightened expression and knew it was the right choice. "It'll be at least another week," Sango assured, smiling at Rin. "I've gotten pretty good at telling. You go ahead."

"Say, you have piercings." Kichiruka's desultory observation broke up any lingering tension. It took Miroku a moment to realize the demon was gawking at his ears.

"Erm, yes…" The monk tried to shuffle closer to his home, but Kichiruka kept pace with a single quickstep. His eyes remained trained on Miroku's ear as if he made the movement subconsciously.

The water yokai tugged on one, then with the tip of his claw, tapped on the other so it swung a little. "Do you have more on the right side?" Faster than Miroku could blink the curious demon popped up beside his opposite shoulder already studying the rest of his set.

Violent eyes pleaded with Sango's.

"Endure your karma," she said, not a drop of pity in her voice.

"Oo, what's this?" Kichiruka exclaimed when he found the small rat's tail gathered at the nape of the monk's neck.

"All right, that's enough." Miroku hustled off.

"Wait, you're fascinating!" Kichiruka followed after him, gaggle of children in tow.

"Well, can't say the demons here are unfriendly." Rin coupled her sheepish smile with a shrug for the slack-jawed escort. "Give me a moment and we'll head out."

The escort followed hurriedly after, lest he'd be the strange demon's next subject.

oOo

Now, the third day and no Rin, Kichiruka stared at the closed door. Too bad Inuyasha and Kagome didn't know him quite as well as Tensai or even Rin. At least then they would have known he wouldn't listen. Cleaning himself off with a routine spell, Kichiruka made for the entrance.

"Hey, we told you to mind your own."

"Oh, Inuyasha, let him stay. Come on in, Kichiruka," Kagome invited from Sango's side.

Miroku's wife breathed deeply, a blanket draped over her swollen form. She looked at the water demon with bleary eyes, but not an ounce of anger. "I'm glad least Rin's friend is here." She smiled, then sipped from the brewed herbs Kagome offered.

"And I've had training," the priestess huffed indignantly at Inuyasha. "It's just…"

Miroku cleared his throat and summed up the situation prettily. "Lady Kagome has been invaluable in providing alternate means to keep the rest of the siblings out of impressionable, possibly traumatic, situations."

"So you've never actually been in the room with Miss Sango?" Kichiruka asked bluntly.

"Keh, an' she missed out on the first three anyway," Inuyasha threw in.

"Well, Rin should be on her way back tonight," Kagome said hopefully.

The scream that wracked Sango jolted everyone in the room. There was a knock on the sliding door that joined the two rooms and Kagome heard Shippo's efforts to calm the other children down.

Kichiruka paled. "Whadda we do?"

"Miroku," Kagome said looking at her friend.

He tipped his head. "I'll keep them occupied." His glance still hurried back to Sango. "Are you sure…?"

Kagome nodded. Then turned. "Kichiruka, water, quickly."

"Got it!" The conch staff spun and Kichiruka took aim into a bucket. "Wait, human babies come out alive?"

"Uh, yeah!" Inuyasha sloshed a rag in the bucket. "What did you expect?"

"Eggs?"

"Cripes, Kagome, he doesn't know what the hell to do!" the hanyo blustered.

"Inuyasha, be still."

"Don't tell me to shut up!"

"_Sit!_"

Kichiruka watched Inuyasha plunge face-first into the floor. The water demon swallowed his next question.

"Kagome…" Sango's breathing quickened and she worked to slow it down. "Thank you for trying…"

"Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"…But I really wish Rin were here."

"Me, too."

"Um, if I may offer," Kichiruka approached the miko. "I think I can provide a means."

"How's that?" Inuyasha grunted. "She's miles away and we're—"

"Rin? Are you there?" Kichiruka spoke into the conch.

Kagome and her husband shared a baffled look. "How's she supposed to hear that?"

"Kichiruka?" Rin's voice chimed clearly.

Everyone turned toward the staff and the water demon indulged an exultant grin. Then, collecting himself, he said, "Sango's in labor."

Rin swore. "Oops, did they hear all that?"

"Yeah," Kichiruka agreed, "they're nodding."

"I blame Inuyasha," Rin amended.

"Hey!"

"The directions," Sango moaned.

"Right." Kichiruka passed the conch to Kagome. "Think the steps through, Rin. We're counting on you."

"No pressure, huh?" she smirked. _Guess not when you have yokai magic._

oOo

Word about Sango's successful birth would've been only a week's worth of talk were it not for the demon, the very same one who brought ice in summer and was seen at the Obon, who attended and apparently assisted the former demon exterminator. The news rushed the village faster than any riptide. Some wondered if this yokai was lucky while others continued to speculate his intentions and if this was just an elaborate plot to take their little community under.

But when a lightning storm set a neighbor's house ablaze that demon was the first there. His attachment to Rin was obvious enough a few tongues began to wag about what Sesshomaru would say to the pair.

"Maybe it's arranged."

"That would explain why she was turnin' down all the highborns earlier."

"But another demon? Has that gone over well with the inu-yokai?"

Then again, who knew what went through the minds of yokai in the first place? The townspeople were having enough trouble trying to figure out Kichiruka without troubling themselves as to the motives of Rin's guardian. And as long as the water demon was useful…

"My shed's been flooded since this past spring, do you think you could drain it?" one neighbor implored after mustering the guts to ask the demon.

Kichiruka assessed the situation. It was a simple matter really, and his conch staff did need a refill now that he went for every opportunity to practice "carrying."

A couple days later there was a light rapping on the outermost panel. Inuyasha slid open the door. "Yeah?"

"Is the water demon available?"

"Y'mean Kichiruka?"

"Yes. Is he there?"

"Well…yeah, but…"

"Wonderful!" Another villager shouldered his way in, wrapping his arms around said yokai. "Come, come, just a small favor. We need our vegetable garden irrigated."

When one family's home went up in flames, Kichiruka was the first there to quell the blaze and contain it. Readily, he accepted the odd, often time-consuming jobs. It wasn't until Tensai made note of it that he realized just the toll this 'friendliness' might be taking. Looking at his reflection in the pond, Kichiruka rubbed the dark circles ringing his eyes. He wanted the villagers to like him, but…_This is getting ridiculous._ He drew the line at rerouting the river.

"I have a sister, wife, and six children to feed!" bemoaned one farmer.

"I've an ailing mother!"

"Hey, remember that time I brought over some…?"

But how could he deny any of them?

"You're too damned nice." Inuyasha groused later that evening in his home. Kagome sat by the hearth arranging herbs to quiz Rin later when she dropped by.

"I told you these guys'll take advantage of you from day one and now lookit yourself." Claws waved in Kichiruka's direction and the exhausted yokai chuckled mirthlessly.

"That may be true," he conceded.

Rin entered Kagome's hut.

"But it has its perks."

Inuyasha open his mouth to argue the point…then, with a light click of teeth, clamped it shut. He hated the familiarity of that look on Kichiruka's face. But just because he wasn't going to encourage it, didn't mean he had to be a creep about it either.

_Poor bastard. _

oOo

Kichiruka dozed into the late hours of the night. When he woke, Inuyasha had long ago stoked the hearth and Rin was gone. Stretching out his legs, the water yokai reached for his conch staff. _Guess I'd better get going._ He slipped outside and started strolling in the general direction of the nearest rice paddy pond. It'd be a quick route home.

But when flashes of the capsized junk came to Kichiruka's mind he paused at the edge of the pond. For whatever reason the water demon couldn't place, the ocean hadn't felt like home in quite some time now. Whatever days he spent there now were only to count the hours when he would return to the surface. And now, mentally drifting through the empty, decorated rooms of "home," Kichiruka didn't feel much for going back.

_It's not like anyone's waiting there for me._

The slice of moon was still high overhead. It seemed silly to teleport back to the ship at this hour when he would just go to sleep for a while, wake up, and pop up back here the next day. Kichiruka smiled slightly. He was very adept at arguing with himself.

Walking along the desolate dirt paths, he scanned the area. It was the middle of summer and the air hung thick, amplifying the incessant buzzing of mosquitoes and the occasional song of cicada and cricket. Darkness stole color, but his night vision was good enough to make out general locations and figures. He spotted Rin's hut with relative ease. It was warm inside and her scent perfumed the cozy space. Kichiruka half wished she would wake up so they could sit up and visit for a while. He crept closer. And kept silent.

He had never had the chance to observe Rin sleeping. It was a hot night and she slept without sheets in just the simplest of undergarments. The fabric looked soft, shimmering a bright white in the moonlight that filtered in, Kichiruka would've guessed it was silk. _If I could touch her I'd know. _Fighting down impulse, he stuffed his hands into his sleeves and contemplated on just how powerful this mysterious demon guardian of hers must've been to keep Rin in all this luxury that contrasted so starkly with her surroundings.

Kichiruka didn't really care when he couldn't come up with an answer, allowing his eyes to roam where his hands wouldn't. When he wandered back up to Rin's face his gaze lingered longest. Her long hair spilled over the blankets and more than ever he wanted to reach out to test the texture.

Blue eyes rolled to the ceiling in exasperation. _What would Rin do if she could see me now?_

"Quit gawking!" she'd scold, then make some remark about the drool on his chin.

Kichiruka straightened. Well, he wouldn't disturb her, he vowed. Then resumed his unabashed staring. _It's not voyeurism, it's field study…_He didn't find the excuse very convincing either.

He saw the curving length of the sword across from her within easy reach and was mildly jealous.

_Would she let me sleep beside her?_

Kichiruka played out the possibilities in his mind and, as much as he liked the more unrealistic ones, he settled for the foot of her bedding. He lay first on his back, staring listlessly at the ceiling's beams. The heavy material of his jacket was stifling in the humidity. So Kichiruka switched to his side. Then his stomach, back, side, side, stomach…_It's too bloody hot for this!_

Frustrated, he considered leaving.

Rin rolled over with a soft moan.

He liked that sound. Maybe she'd do it again.

_Y'know, it's not _that _humid. Well, maybe if I just shed a couple of layers_. Wriggling out of the stuffy short jacket, he folded it over the second, navy blue layer of his clothes and set them aside. Kichiruka entertained the idea of removing the white kosode he wore under it all…but settled for loosening it instead. He couldn't let Rin get entirely the wrong impression.

Flopping on his stomach in the now tolerably-warm room, he listened to Rin's easy breathing and tried matching pace. The sweat-salted air and steady ebb and flow of heartbeats lulled Kichiruka into a gentle sleep. For once in a long while, he felt completely at home.

oOo

Some time after her unknown guest had fallen asleep, Rin woke up at her usual – what Kagome called, ungodly – hour. Still rubbing sleep sand from her eyes, she stretched and felt her toes touch slick, bare skin.

_Bare skin?_

Scooting back, Rin did what most normal women do when they find a half-naked man in their room. She screamed.

Kichiruka bolted upright, his loosened kosode flapping open. "Yes? What's wr—Whoa! That's a huge dog!"

Fortunately for the errant demon, the greenish luminescence of Rin's Shadow Teeth provided enough light for him to be identified. She sheathed the blade.

"What the hell are you doing here at this hour?" she demanded.

"Seeing to your wellbeing," Kichiruka answered, quickly cobbling the words as they came to mind.

"Well, get a move on." Rin prodded him with the blunt end of the scabbard. "This is about the time I start my day."

"At this hour? It's barely dawn." He yawned and slouched back down on his elbows.

"You're a demon, aren't you?" Rin frowned. "Why on earth do you need sleep?"

"Uhh…I'm tired?" he mumbled. _Playing 'hero' for the whole damn town is no mean feat. _"You must be too. Lay down."

"Not around you!"

"What? I wasn't thinking…anything." Kichiruka wasn't very successful at suppressing the devilish grin.

Rin frowned. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?" Throwing on a light yukata – she didn't dare change with Kichiruka around, even if he was staring 'politely' off into a corner – she got up and stepped outside. _Tch, apparently water demons know exactly what to look for_. Walking off her temper, Rin completed a lap around the village, besides a few loose chickens and one mangy dog no one else was really hanging about. When she was sure that enough time had passed for Kichiruka to be asleep again, she headed back into her home. Sure enough the demon snored peaceably – _almost innocently_ – on his stomach, one cheek rested over crossed arms.

Rin couldn't be too sure, but she thought she glimpsed more spots trailing down Kichiruka's chest. Was every inch of him covered like that? Squeezing her eyes, she shook her head, trying to clear out every-inch-of-Kichiruka-without-a-stitch from her mind. Modestly pulling on the tie around her waist, she laid her head on his back. Folding her hands over her stomach, Rin decided it was time for a nap.

.

_A/N: Yay! Twenty-seven chapters later, Sango finally has her baby! Eheh...Now before we move too far along, I wanted to give a little height comparison. . com/art/Measuring-Up-Hooked-175760122?q=sort%3Atime+gallery%3Aferal-instinct&qo=0 of some relatively important characters (please remove spaces before use). Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated. _


	28. A Fine Kettle

_A/N: Ah, apparently the link in the previous chapter got cut up a bit (I blame 's formatting). My apologies, and here's the link again: feral-instinct(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d2wn5dm (please remember to replace "dots" with periods.)_

_A/N: Because Sesshomaru can't stay in the dark forever. _

**A Fine Kettle**

Just because yokai could hold a position for months, even years, on end never meant they did. Sesshomaru had spent the past twenty-three hours with his legs tucked under his knees and a kink knotting his back. He didn't have to force the bored expression. Every fifty years or so, he dragged himself up north to readdress the treaty between the West and Far North in Hokkaido. The alliance dated back to the Mainland Invasion when the Dog General had temporarily unified the major powers of homeland to fend off the intruders. Although there would be many squabbles to come after the war with the Continent, the Dogs of the North and West agreed on something along the lines of a truce with Mount Kaena and its sleeping sentinel serving as the permanent border.

To maintain the cycle of goodwill, custom required one demon had to spend a fortnight in the host's company. It was Sesshomaru's turn.

_Apparently no one here believes a guest can overstay his welcome._ For the eighth time, the Western Lord quelled his yoki. Once in a while during the visits, the Master of the North – Sesshomaru scoffed at the gaudy title – would recall a story about the Dog General and Sesshomaru would convince himself to stand another day. The Inu no Taisho had always encouraged his son to look up the old war dog as an uncle of sorts. Sesshomaru never did. He spent much of the first and all of the second visits strategizing how he could bring the North under his heel, if only not to deal with an inane waste of two weeks' time. But in those days he had thought such a conquest would be a glory only Tetsusaiga could wrest.

Now on this fourth visit Sesshomaru decided it would be too much to gamble the stability of his own lands for now. "A fleeting caprice," he finally termed it after two hundred years.

Even though he arrived a day late, "Uncle" smiled in that irritating manner old crones oft did, but never mentioned anything. Maybe he found the lapse in his guest's usual punctuality amusing. Who cared? "You've changed some, Sesshomaru," was all he commented.

The younger daiyokai shrugged. "Time passes." _And your eyesight is probably the worse for it._

At last, they were down to the wire. The final twenty-four hours were spent from one dawn to the next reviewing the treaty's terms and conditions, ending with the mutual signatures of both parties. _Just one hour more_.

From his corner of room, Jaken yawned into his sleeve. Rare were the dull moments in Lord Sesshomaru's company; unfortunately, this was the hallmark of them. Rubbing his eyes, Jaken nearly leapt with joy when he saw his master reach for the inkstone that heralded the end of their stay.

But just as he completed the final stroke, a tremor spasmed in the dog-demon's claws. Tips of talons glowed green, then faded.

"Is there something to your disliking, Lord Sesshomaru?" the elder demon looked up from his scrolls just in time to see a comet streak from his quarters.

Sesshomaru knew Jaken would apologize for him, especially since he didn't offer too many himself. He could return later. Rin had called upon her blade's venomous canine, a direct link to his own poison claws.

_She's in danger._ Even as he flew at the speed of light, Sesshomaru wished he could travel faster. In the space of a second, a million scenarios played through his mind: Rin injured, vulnerable, irretrievably dead.

But she was among company he had permitted, Sesshomaru rationalized, fighting for control of his racing emotions. He wouldn't have left Rin in that village when she was a child if he hadn't trusted the population in it, among them the wielder of Tetsusaiga. Wasn't that the truth?

_Naturally. _

He shot over the land at mile-eating speed. The daiyokai resumed his temporary form at the last hill overlooking the village. On first impression, he didn't feel any outstanding malaise.

_A false alarm?_

Sesshomaru took flight and circled high for a bird's eye view of the community. He picked out Rin immediately. His hammering pulse slowing, Sesshomaru observed from his aerial position, and reined in his every instinct to go down and give a complete inspection of the grounds.

Whether she was practicing or simply spooked, he wasn't sure, but she had sheathed the blade, carrying it loosely in her grip, and wandered aimlessly about the sleepy village. Rin always was the first one up.

_And she's fine_. Annoyance elbowed over Sesshomaru's previous worry. If he was going to let Rin go he couldn't obey every whim to come rushing to her side whenever he sensed trouble. He made a mental note to lecture her about the uses for the venom dog another time. For now he had to finish up a meeting before the contract was rendered null.

He tarried.

_Just one more check._ His altitude was much too high for his nose to be effective; instead he cast an invisible band of yoki to frisk the area. "A demon's rinse," Father had called it. Sweeping his hand slowly through the air to keep pace with how he "rinsed" the area, Sesshomaru stopped when he picked up on a yokai presence in Rin's home. He broke the thread and prepared to descend. But Rin reached the hut before him. She showed no apprehension. Seeing the way she stretched and trudged back inside he gave it no further thought.

_It must the kit or two-tail or whatever foundling they have now_. Certain that everything was as it should have been, Sesshomaru snorted at his own folly and headed back North.

oOo

Working a chain of flowers, Rin splashed her feet idly in the brook's cool, clear waters while Kichiruka sat half-submerged practicing his juggling. He was up to six now.

It was too hot to really do much of anything today. Just sitting around with the occasional blurb of chatter seemed like a good enough idea. They didn't talk much about Kichiruka's "unexpected visit" of yester morn. He woke up with a stiff back sans Rin and had already slipped away when she returned to check on him.

_Coward_, he berated himself.

Rin looked up from her flowers every so often to glance Kichiruka's way. She thought about his teleportation abilities and started to wonder where the demon's home coast was exactly. _If he can be there in an eyeblink he could just as easily come from the ocean's side or the shared sea between us and the Continent all the way west._

So she asked. "From which coast do you come?"

"Mikan," Kichiruka answered simply nodding out toward the east. He whispered something, then let go of the juggling circle. Rin gaped as they water spheres continued their cycle without Kichiruka's direct contact.

_Long-lasting enchantment. _

"However, I was born somewhere on the other side." He waved his hand westward. "Why?"

"Just curious." Rin shrugged. "How long have you lived on this side?"

"I have been in these waters for going on twenty-five years now. I haven't been anywhere for such a stretch."

_Only twenty-five years?_ Rin wasn't too familiar with yokai calendars and ages, but she knew that generally anything less than a century was relatively short. "You rove a lot?"

Kichiruka's juggling cycle slowed. "Yeah…"

"Does your family travel with you?"

"…No." The water spheres merged back with the current.

"So…what's up with them?"

"Can we practice?"

Rin shut up and nodded. "Sorry for prying." She knotted the last stem and set the ring of flowers over his neck. "Here."

He chuckled softly, smiling at the petals before tucking them into his collar underneath. "It's all right. Let's go."

Although she had no idea exactly what there was left to teach Kichiruka. His joints stopped popping a while ago and he moved with nearly the same fluidity as if he were born on land. With a bit of relief she watched Kichiruka make up his own challenges.

"By now I should be able to just jump over this hill," he declared, pointing determinedly at the knoll. The water demon sprang forward…and got about three feet far before the incline caught up with his face.

"Still alive?" Rin drawled.

His outstretched claws twitched.

Eventually, they made it up to the shade of the tree at the hilltop.

"Do humans climb?" Kichiruka asked.

"Yes." Although Rin didn't think her yukata was much suited to the task.

Kichiruka fingered the rough bark of the tree and frowned. He looked up to the lowest sturdy bough. Then leapt.

"Well, you half made it," Rin giggled. Kichiruka dangled by his hands. He'd barely jumped a few spans off the ground. He soon lost his grip.

They settled for sitting next to each other on the grass instead.

Rin smirked_. Kagome and Inuyasha this ain't_.

"Some two and a half centuries ago, there was a great war between the yokai of this land and those of the Mainland, you know."

The statement was so arbitrary Rin had to think for a minute to come up with a reply. Kichiruka just stared straight ahead. Finally she nodded. "I've heard the stories. Something about a demon named Hyoga." Rin remembered from her early travels with Sesshomaru the pesky moths that had swarmed the land when Menomaru, the son of the Mainland general, resurrected.

"Indeed, from those battles stormy waters shook the ocean and howling wind torrents ravaged the region." Kichiruka paused and considered the shifting leaves overhead. "It was in the turbulence that I lost my family."

Again Kichiruka _stopped_. A blank look barring any expression. His cerulean eyes dulled to cornflower, his voice flattened. He could've been reading from a town register.

"I called and searched for days, months, and years to no avail. It seemed the more I swam the farther I got from my pod. Eventually, I roamed into these waters. Lord Ichikawa found me. He thought it was amusing that there was no one else in his kingdom like me.

"I certainly don't hate his lordship. Heaven knows he's been…fair with me." Kichiruka picked his words with care. "And then there's Master Tensai, too." He chuckled. Then looked at Rin. "Hey, what're the tears for? It isn't that terrible a –"

"I'm crying for you," she sniffled. "You…you're…AN IDIOT!"

Kichiruka toppled backwards. "Huh? Me?" He struggled to sit up.

"Yeah, you, stupid!" She jabbed a finger into his chest. "I shed my tears for my family. I got closure, but you, you just keep it all bottled up inside like a moron. You can't expect anyone to be a freakin' mind-reader! I'm sick of dealing with emotionally constipated yokai!" Rin stormed.

_Well…geez. Hope she doesn't totally mean me. _

She huffed, scrubbed her eyes, then glared out to the village below. "I forgive you," she grumbled.

Kichiruka twitched. "Okaaay…" He crept closer and they sat quietly for a bit. "I'm going to be needed back…in the ocean for a while," he finally said and started walking back downhill.

Rin followed. "Visitors?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"That seems to be when you have to spend the most time there. Are you a diplomat of sorts?"

Kichiruka's eyes rolled skyward and he tugged at the spiked strands of his topknot. "…You could say that I help alleviate political tension."

"Are you a catamite?"

"No! Ech, I told you Ichikawa's fair with me not abusive! "

He was back to evading her questions. But seeing that this didn't upset him, Rin let the line drop.

"Do you usually get visitors from far away? Like the ones with the water horses?"

Kichiruka nodded. "Usually demons accompany humans on the way over here, giving life to the stories that foreigners share, but once in a while they find their way over – just to see."

They stopped by the brook and Rin tilted her head. "Do these visitors look much different than the yokai here?"

"Yeah, if 'strange' brings to mind anything different." He laughed. "They're weird-looking creatures with even odder customs. Though I daresay that's where Ichikawa gets a few of his more 'original' ideas. He says it makes our guests feel more at home. Huh."

"Really? Like?"

"Eh, maybe I'll show you one of these days. Just not now. I'll return soon." Kichiruka smiled gently and leaned in.

Rin was only dimly aware that her eyes fluttered shut.

When she opened them, Kichiruka was waving from the brook. "Okay! See ya in a few days!"

He dove in and disappeared.

Rin huffed.

_Idiot._

oOo

After sparring the day had passed quietly, especially without Jaken around. When Sesshomaru neglected to bring his loquacious retainer along Rin wondered just what sort of errand or tedium the poor imp was braving alone.

_Eh, he's probably got Ah-Un with him. _

As the sun crawled to the horizon and she walked toward home, passing by the brook, Rin realized she was walking by herself. She glanced over her shoulder. "Aren't you coming?"

Sesshomaru stood still, arms at his sides. "You don't need me to walk you back anymore." His voice sounded faint and distant.

_Emotionally constipated._ Rin shook her head, smiling. "I like it when you do."

Without a word, Sesshomaru fell into step with her again. Even though the use of the poison dog had unsettled him somewhat, the daiyokai had forced himself to wait another two days before returning to check on Rin again. He _would _grow used to this. Then Sesshomaru looked at sword she wore and remembered. "If you implement the finishing technique at any time I'll be there."

Rin smirked. "And if the demon's already dead?"

A furred shoulder shrugged. "I suppose you will now be able to handle any yokai pests…"

Suddenly, the hairs on nape of dog-demon's neck pricked up. Rin saw his nose twitch. Both looked toward the brook.

"With ease," he completed. In a slicing whisper, Sesshomaru's whip ribboned out to the brook, ripping the calm waters.

Rin bit back a gasp. _Please don't be there._

Sesshomaru frowned when the energy band turned up empty. He could have sworn he sensed another demonic presence. Nothing vanished without a trace and his sharp nose never lied.

Covering her relief, Rin affected a curious, wide-eyed stare. "Something the matter?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer and strode toward the brook to rake his hand through the bank's silt. Sampling some of the muck he sniffed it over. _There_. It was faint, but he could distinguish a salty content in the freshwater. Whatever this demon was that had these strange comings and goings it was frequent enough to leave residue.

"Rin," he ordered.

She jumped at her name. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"You used your blade recently."

"Yes." Did he have to make it sound like an accusation? His brows furrowed asking a silent "why?" "I had to test it for myself," Rin answered simply, keeping a nervous pitch at bay.

"The venomous properties only function if you fear for your life. Were you threatened?" Sesshomaru sounded on the verge of anger, but Rin knew this meant he was terribly concerned. She squirmed inside and just felt like blurting out the truth.

_And what do you think he'll _do_ to Kichiruka?_

"I woke up feeling nervous." It wasn't a total lie. "So that must have triggered it. I went for a walk to calm down, then went back to sleep."

Sesshomaru nodded. What Rin said aligned with what he'd seen that morning.

But the girl stepped back as he drew closer. The dog-demon stooped and tilted his head in that unnerving way when he meant to commit a smell to memory.

_He's scanning me…for Kichiruka's scent?_

Golden eyes narrowed. "You're hiding something."

"And what could that be?" Rin hedged. Sesshomaru would smell a direct lie.

"You're being evasive."

"Well, anyone would be under these circumstances." She reached for the hilt of her blade and pressed it against his abdominal plate to put some space between them. "Is this a test? M'lord?"

Sesshomaru backed off a bit, crossing his arms into voluminous sleeves. "Huh." He looked Rin up and down. She stared back up at him somewhere, he gauged, at the space over his shoulder. _A token's defiance_. He wondered if this foolhardiness was what his mother saw in him. At least Rin merited the advice.

"Don't do anything stupid."

oOo

From the safety of his ship, Kichiruka breathed deeply, trying to get the hyperventilation under control. He had to replay the scene four times over in his head before it made sense.

He was struck dumb by the lightening reflex, an automatic, merciless reaction. Like the way sharks chomped on anything that moved. It was as natural and regular breathing. This demon had killed before, many times; Kichiruka couldn't deny it, not with the proof dragging him within an inch of his life.

Without even glancing down, that daiyokai had unsheathed his claws, utterly composed and detached. Had he squashed an insect he could hardly have displayed less emotion, and this deadly calm unnerved Kichiruka as much as the ruthless, unthinking speed with which he had struck.

The water demon swallowed. He thought if he was going to declare any of his feelings for Rin he would like to speak to the guardian she held in such high esteem. Yet for being yokai himself, it seemed that her protector wanted nothing to do with demon-kind.

_Huh. There's a fine kettle of fish. _

Kichiruka shuddered. He could still feel the sizzle of yoki that had crackled just before instinct took hold and teleported him out of there. That demon was in a completely separate class. Daiyokai.

Kichiruka cursed the fates for putting such a temperamental guard dog in his path, for being born a common demon, and – in spite of his arsenal of spells – for being so easily bewitched by one human girl.

He sighed.

_And I must be pretty sick because I like it. _

.

_A/N: If "Hooked" had a cover page: feral-instinct(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d2wy56l Ah, and finally got this one done: feral-instinct(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d2wy5vc (please replace "dots" with periods and keep the first portion of the link when pasting). Thank you for reading! _


	29. That's a Moray

_A/N: Updates are going to get a little slower since I'm prepping to return to campus soon. Thank you all for your patience and patronage. This chapter's title is owed to a type of eel and Dean Martin. _

**That's a Moray**

Moonlight shone through the open window and cast Rin's dark room in a silver glow, lighting up the cerulean hues in Kichiruka's irises. He was shirtless and hakama rode low on his dappled waist. Rin sucked in a sharp breath – just as she thought, the spots really did go all the way down his chest. The last disappeared under the square knot below his stomach. Kichiruka pulled her close in a fierce embrace.

"Rin," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "You realize how I feel about you, right?"

_Yes_. _Maybe_. She stood on tiptoe to graze her ear against his mouth. _Please say it._

"You're like a sister to me."

"Yes, and I –" _Wait, what? No! No, this isn't how it's supposed to go! _She pulled back to gape at the demon.

Kichiruka laughed and his usual smile took on a funny lopsided quality. Suddenly his spots faded and his chin sprouted a few whiskers. When his hair lost its spikes and bled from silver to black, he looked at her with soft brown eyes.

_Kohaku?_

Rin woke up in a cold sweat. "God!"

Kichiruka knelt beside her. "Are you okay?" Concerned wrinkled the spots on his brow. He blinked, but his eyes stayed their gentle blue. "Have a bad dr—"

Grabbing the back of his topknot, Rin dragged the demon down for a deep, passionate kiss. When she was through he lay there petrified, just staring back.

"Well, say something!" she snapped.

"I am so hard for you right now."

Rin sighed. _Good. I guess. _"Wait, when did you get here?"

Kichiruka grinned.

_Oh, what the hell. _Rin reached for him again.

Then opened her eyes for the second time.

"What the…?" It took a full minute to register the empty room and the creeping sunshine that filtered through the shades. She smacked a hand over her forehead. _Just a stupid dream… _

"Couple of creepy dreams," she said out loud to test the surety of her voice. The sturdy resolve resounded in the room's quiet. Rin was awake. And she certainly hoped Kichiruka didn't see her as a sister.

_Er, not that I want to be anything more…_

It wasn't as if she _wanted_ Kichiruka that badly. He was, after all, a demon. Rin felt her stomach squeeze involuntarily. She crossed her legs and tried to ignore the gathering moisture. Why didn't his species seem to matter as much as it was supposed to?

_Okay, but he probably won't take it seriously._ If she was going to leave this little village, she didn't have time to mess around. _Even if I do want him…a little, _the girl conceded.

Rin sighed, rolling over. Kichiruka said he would be busy for a few days, but that hadn't stopped him from dropping by the next. _Or trying to, anyway._ Rin shuddered to think what would've happened had the water demon been half a second slower. She hoped Sesshomaru's demonstration was enough to keep him away.

_But what if he never comes back?_

Rin curled tightly under the blankets. She didn't want Kichiruka to leave, but she couldn't blame him if he did either. The thought alone made Rin's chest tighten. _Tch, it's only been a day and he's having an effect on my anatomy. _Rin's toes curled. She could already hear Kichiruka's reply to _that_. But without the demon's antics or even just his jovial presence to bounce her along, she had trouble visualizing her day, like a very important piece had been cut out of her routine.

_Or maybe just a break from it all._

He made everything new. Even her plain little village was seen with a fresh perspective. She loved watching Kichiruka's eyes light up when he got excited, the way his laughter bubbled like a fountain, and his strange philosophies that occasionally surfaced. _It's because of him that I've stayed, _Rin thought remembering how anxious she was to leave her hometown as soon as spring had arrived.

_Why?_

Still wide awake, her mind drifted before it dug up perhaps its most absurd memory.

.

Rin was laid up with her bad ankle and Kichiruka came poking around the village nearly every day. No matter how many times she assured him that she'd walk again, the demon persistently popped up to check on her. Rin thought it was annoying, until a time when he didn't show up at all.

"What are you looking for?" Kagome asked, joining her young friend out on the bench in front of hers and Inuyasha's home.

"Nothing," Rin answered, voice muffled by the hand under her chin. Although she stared across the busy street scene of neighbors plus one incoming merchant, her eyes didn't see any of them.

"I'm sure he'll be by today."

"You think?" Rin said absently.

Kagome smiled triumphantly. "Aha! You _are_ thinking about your little demon friend!"

Rin's chin slipped off her palm. "No! An' don't call him 'little,'" she grumbled the last.

"Okay, you're thinking about 'Kich',' then?"

"Cut it out, Kagome," she harrumphed. The priestess had been brutally teasing her with the backclipping of Kichiruka's name ever since she'd overheard it.

"She gets it from Sesshomaru," Inuyasha snorted, dropping from the rooftop.

"I think you're right," the priestess sighed at Rin as if studying a pitiful broken-winged bird.

"What?" the girl snapped. She was starting to get why Inuyasha got so offended when he was compared to his brother. It was pretty damn annoying.

"That attitude," the priestess said. "In this case, when you love someone you're the last one to know." With a lazy yawn, Kagome beckoned for Inuyasha to follow her out to Sango's house.

"Hey, you can't leave me stranded here!" Rin shouted after her.

"You won't be shortly."

To her conflicting annoyance, Kagome was right. Kichiruka showed up in the next minute. Rin hadn't known it then, but Kichiruka was especially fond of the fact that he had one thing only two other people in his world did: thumbs.

"Hey, Rin! I've been practicing all morning," he exclaimed, emerging from a water-filled basin. "Did you know you could do this with thumbs?"

He wiggled the opposable digits for a full minute in front of his eyes, then touched each finger to them. With a whoop of joy, he delighted in the snapping sound that emitted when he rubbed his thumb and middle finger together.

_Falling in love? With him?_ Rin peered at Kichiruka from the corner of her vision: he sat on the ground snapping his fingers and humming some off-beat tune.

_They're all crazy, _she had thought before limping to a seat and waiting for Kichiruka to join her.

.

But now Rin wondered just how farfetched Kagome's notion was. And why did it take a threat of permanent loss just to realize how much something meant?

_Wonder if that's why Lord Sesshomaru worries so much. _

And it wasn't like she could take Kichiruka with her. Early on, she had made an effort not to grow attached. Sometimes she asked for the demon to return, other days she didn't bother. What if he just said no? What if she used up all his friendship? Getting tangled up in the light blanket again, Rin tossed to her other side. Maybe this attachment was the sort of stupid thing Sesshomaru had admonished her against.

And still Rin couldn't help wishing: _Please don't be gone._

She gazed at the window a moment before noticing just how late the morning had grown. _This is too much to think about right now. _

Lifting up the shade, Rin peeped out the window, surprised – _but can't say shocked_ – to spot Sesshomaru among the people. _Not that that's so hard to do. _Everyone might have been going about their daily business, but they all kept a ten-foot radius from the daiyokai. Their adversion was a stark contrast to the more tolerant – if occasionally manipulative – stance they afforded Kichiruka in the short period they'd known him. Over the years that Sesshomaru had spent with around the village, no one ever got used to having such a demon so close. Even when he completely ignored them.

Like a sleepwalker, Sesshomaru strolled aimlessly along. Silver bangs swished as his head swung slowly from one side to the other. He kept his eyes half closed as if shutting down any other senses that might influence his nose.

_He's tracking._ Rin shivered, knowing the target perfectly well. Dropping the shade before Sesshomaru decided to pay her a visit, she went back to bed. Maybe if she slept in the dog-demon wouldn't come sniffing around here. _Fat, lardy chance._ All she could hope was that Kichiruka stood away.

"Hey, Rin?" A little voice that came from under her pillow sent Rin jumping for the ceiling. "It's Kichiruka. Can you hear me?"

Rin scooped up the earrings, shooting glances all around. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Whoa, look, you never mentioned this guardian of yours is a predatory greater demon."

"Don't you have more important things to do?" she snapped, immediately regretting the terseness of her words.

"I'm on break," he huffed. "Anyway, now that I know what he is, just _who_ is he?"

Suddenly, Rin felt a tremor run up her spine. Sesshomaru's aura was drawing closer. "Gotta go. Sorry."

Muffling Kichiruka's protests in her fist, she did some fast thinking and grabbed a wash cloth, wrapped up the earrings, and stuffed them into the depths of the hearth, beneath the thick soot and charred timber. With the exception of being in Sesshomaru's company, Rin had already been wearing the earrings since she'd gotten them. _They're cute_, she had reasoned. But just in case sweat and scent hadn't completely altered the smell hopefully these last, desperate measures would.

Rummaging through the chest in the room's corner, she fished out some incense leftover from Obon. It didn't matter if it was lit, if she could just crumble it and scatter the scent enough to deter Sesshomaru's nose.

Then two firm knocks thudded against her door's post.

Sesshomaru would have preferred to enter as he pleased, but since Rin was growing up he started allowing her more privacy. She wasn't a child anymore. He was frankly reminded of that when she came to the doorway in her sleepwear, smelling…_mature_.

"What have you been –? Never mind." He didn't want to know. But he did look over her head and couldn't find any trace of men in the small quarters.

Rin's face heated up. Times like these she really wished Sesshomaru had normal olfaction and couldn't detect her every emotion or arousal.

"Change your mind about Takeda?" he asked offhandedly, choosing to remain outside with the fresh air.

Rin scowled at him.

"It can still be arranged," Sesshomaru deadpanned.

Rin rolled her eyes. If he was in a good enough a humor to joke like this perhaps there still existed a chance that he would let suspicions of Kichiruka's presence go.

"So what man is on your mind?"

"None." _None human._

Sesshomaru arched a slender brow as if to ask, "Is that so?"

Rin wanted to shoot back, "Like you don't think about women," but she wasn't too sure. For the time that she'd known him, Sesshomaru seemed damn near celibate. _That's probably why he's so uptight. _But, putting her own theories aside, Rin simply answered his question, followed up with a polite request to ready herself for the day ahead.

_Don't screw up a good thing. Just get him moving. _

Sesshomaru left. And returned the following day.

To his vexation the mysterious demon's scent grew weaker with every hour. Jaken's inferior senses were useless and the daiyokai had half a mind to interrogate the villagers. _As if they know of anything…_

Humans, Sesshomaru knew, were collectively stupid. As it was, few remained articulate in his presence. He decided to spare himself the headache and keep tracking on his own. By the third day, the dog-demon was tempted to write the whole fiasco off as a possible misfortune negated by his very presence. But what if that demon came back?

_Then it dies. _

Sesshomaru found small consolation in this thought. He sensed Inuyasha getting increasingly agitated by these patrols, but strangely his typically confrontational sibling didn't come out snapping and lunging as usual. Did he not want to address the subject? Or was there really no danger and Inuyasha finally learned the art of humiliation after being a long-time student?

The tip of the dog-demon's furred mane flicked. He didn't want to go and leave matters to chance. Standing on Rin's roof, he scanned the skies. Sesshomaru's head suddenly snapped in the opposite direction as he honed in on a demon's scent. He knew this one and its riders well.

_The two-tail. _

Kilala coasted in for a landing and amber eyes observed the little crowd that flocked around the neko-mata. Kohaku slid slowly off. But it was the accompanying rappa who carried his chain-and-sickle, worry creasing her fine features. It was difficult to see from the angle of the slayer's body, but Kohaku's arm rested in a makeshift cloth sling. Sesshomaru studied the wind currents and sifted out the scratchy scent of dried blood.

The daiyokai's mane and clothes were still settling when he landed in front of his one-time protégée. People instantly cleared space, save for Rin and her friends.

Claws reached out to graze the top of the sling. Kohaku recoiled with a wince, but his fingers flexed and his whole arm moved.

_A flesh wound, then_. Golden eyes searched the slayer's face.

"A mantis – from the Mainland, I think," Kohaku explained, "with claws faster than I anticipated."

"How careless," Sesshomaru droned.

Inuyasha muttered something about being an unsympathetic bastard, but Kohaku spoke over him. "Miyoko suggested we ought to come back and rest here." He nodded toward his fiancée. Sesshomaru didn't so much as glance in her direction. His sights stood adhered to the slayer's arm. The scent on Kohaku's wound was different than the one haunting the village.

"Were you successful?"

"Yeah, it's dead." The young man nodded curtly.

Sesshomaru offered a faint smile. Although Kohaku was injured, the taijiya's presence alone seemed to assuage his nerves. He trusted Kohaku more than most other associates, human or demon.

"I sense there's been a run of yokai in this area," Sesshomaru said, switching the subject slightly. "Alert me if you notice anything unusual." The daiyokai kept his tone clipped, but his eyes lingered on Kohaku's arm. He snorted as he took his leave.

It was just as difficult letting boys go, too.

oOo

Kichiruka surveyed the area surrounding the rice paddy, poking out no more of his face than necessary. He wasn't used to being cautious on Rin's turf and realized just how sloppy he'd grown. His eyes darting from one place to another, Kichiruka braced himself for a set of claws to come out of nowhere and shear his head off.

But the demon kept wondering that if he had met this protector of Rin's from the get-go would matters have been much different?

_Quit being a pansy_. He sprang out of the water, startling several women working nearby.

"'Morning!" he greeted cheerfully before continuing on his way. Keeping an eye open for any danger, Kichiruka raised the conch to his chin. "Hey, Rin, where are you?"

He waited a moment, then asked, "You there?"

"Kichiruka?"

"Hi!" At her light laughter he felt a tension evaporate from his shoulders. "Rin dear, where are you?"

"Miroku's house." She hesitated. "We have company."

"Oh." Kichiruka stopped walking in the middle of the road, a man driving his ox cursed his way past. "Can I still come over?"

"Sure!" Kagome's voice chirped through the conch. Kichiruka picked up some of Rin's grumbling for the priestess to quit grabbing her ear and didn't she mind? "Come on over! Rin could use you around."

Kichiruka smiled. That was all the invitation he needed. When he arrived at the small mansion, Rin was already outside waiting.

"Hey." She could see the millions of questions playing across his face. None of which she really felt like discussing.

"So, who's over?"

Rin exhaled in relief as he asked the easiest of the questions, even if her reply came out in a choppy, "Kohaku, he was my, er, is a…childhood friend."

"Ah." Her discomfort left Kichiruka puzzled, but he decided not to go into it. _Even if she likes to cross-examine the hell out of me. _

The guest room was spacious enough to accommodate Inuyasha, Kagome, and who Kichiruka assumed was Kohaku, along with another woman. Kohaku stood when he saw the demon enter. Drowning blue eyes looked him up and down and the taijiya felt his hand clench for the kusarigama that rested in the opposite corner, too far away to be effective. He stood.

Kichiruka tilted his head. _Huh. A young guy. And injured._

"Nice to meet you," he said kindly, but no sooner had he finished bowing

At the unnerving way Kichiruka circled Kohaku Kagome thought of sharks and their prey. She noticed their water demon had folded his hands behind his back. As if he were avoiding direct contact. Kichiruka's circle tightened when suddenly the strange woman shoved a palm into his chest with more strength than he had expected from her. "Enough," she growled.

"Huh. If he takes a bite out of him, we're tossing fish-boy back in the lake," Inuyasha drawled. Kagome and Rin glared at him.

"It's okay, Miyoko," Kohaku demurred, his hands on her shoulders. He looked back up at the water demon. "You want to touch, don't you?"

Kichiruka smiled. This man was familiar with yokai.

With a gusty sigh, Kohaku stepped forward and waited. Mercifully, this yokai had some sort of upbringing to politely extend only one claw-tipped finger. He ran it over the slayer's fine beard, carefully tracing his jawline. Then his hand fell to his side. "Done," he announced.

If everyone was surprised by the brevity of Kichiruka's examination, their shock skyrocketed when Kohaku looked gravely back and said, "My turn, demon."

Inuyasha exchanged a look with Kagome who glanced at Rin who slipped a hand over her eyes.

Kohaku reached out to feel one of the tines on Kichiruka's head. The demon held perfectly still as fingers separated the strands of hair comprising the first spike.

"Hmm, hair and not scales," Kohaku mumbled. "A very good guise. Miyoko, remember this please." He turned back to his subject. "Heh, thanks."

Kichiruka smiled. "Glad to return the favor."

Demon and slayer sat down in time, apparently satisfied with whatever they saw in the other.

Rin groaned. _This is too weird._

"So you're a friend of Rin's?" Kohaku asked.

Kichiruka looked at the girl and smiled. "Yes," he said to her.

From the corner of her eye, Rin saw the ninja pass a sleeve over her mouth to hide her grin.

_What're you laughing about, Ayu? _

"So this is the guy who makes you smile so?" she leaned in to whisper.

Rin frowned. "Does it look like I'm grinning from ear to ear?"

"It's in your eyes, silly."

Rin shut up and tuned back into whatever everyone else was talking about.

"I noticed the sickle. Is it yours?" Kichiruka nodded toward the kusarigama.

Kohaku nodded. "I'm a professional demonslayer."

Kichiruka turned to Rin, a playful smile curling the corners of his mouth. "You like putting me around dangerous people, don't you?"

In spite of herself, Rin laughed. And sharp ears fluttered to catch every fluctuation.

"So, you're from the ocean, hm?" Kohaku leaned forward in interest, drawing Kichiruka's attention back. "Which coast?"

"Mikan."

"The one with all the tangerine groves?"

"That's our namesake!" The toothy grin spread wider.

"May I see?" Kohaku pointed at the conch shell propped against the demon's shoulder.

"Oh, I only know a few parlor tricks," Kichiruka said, rubbing the back of his neck and keeping his gaze low.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Inuyasha huffed from his corner of the room, arms folded behind his head. "You're pretty damn good at what you do."

"He works hard for it." Rin's voice brimmed with unchecked admiration and she was treated to a rare blush rising from the water demon's cheeks.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Kagome asked brightly.

"Oh, nothing…" Kichiruka looked quizzically at Rin. "You?"

Rin shifted a little. Now that Kichiruka was here she wanted him all to herself.

"Why don't you spend the day out for a while?" the priestess suggested. "I know you've been working hard to keep busy the past couple of days without Kichiruka around."

Rin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Could Kagome embarrass her any further? "Kohaku's injured, though, and –"

"I'm spoiled whenever I get back here," the demonslayer interrupted with a hearty laugh. "Go on and take Kilala with you. She gets antsy being cooped up." Kohaku nodded to his demon partner.

"Fine," she sighed so as not give away her own relief. But Rin smiled as the kitten skittered after.

Kohaku watched the pair leave. He wasn't sure if Kichiruka counted as "unusual" since everyone here seemed to know him, but the taijiya wasn't going to betray Sesshomaru's confidence either. He'd remember to discuss it with Rin later.

Outside, Kilala scuttled up Kichiruka's shoulder. Extending a black paw, she tentatively tapped him on the head. He blinked back and the little cat mewed delightedly.

"Maybe she thinks you're edible," Rin giggled. "Kilala likes fish."

"Does she?" he cooed, picking her up and nuzzling her nose. Then in a swirl of flames, Kilala transformed. Kichiruka backed up, tripped, and fell sprawled in front of the great cat's paws. His yelp was muted by the slurpy, reassuring strokes that she licked over the water demon's face in a friendly greeting. Kichiruka held his breath and waited for her to finish. This wasn't the tactile exchange he was used to.

Laughing, Rin locked an arm around Kilala's mane. "Enough, girl. Hey, Kich', wanna get to the brook really fast?" A devious glint gleamed in Rin's eyes.

Kichiruka looked between her and Kilala. His consent came hesitantly.

"Hop on," she said, mounting the demon cat.

"Ride the two-tail?"

"Yeah, what else?"

Kichiruka was half expecting something more exciting that riding an animal that would presumably just bound over the land. _Well, if Rin thinks it's fun_…He got on.

But when Kilala sprang into the air she didn't come back down. Kichiruka yelped and latched on to Rin. She frowned disappointedly. This wasn't the way his body was pressed to hers in the dream.

"I hate heights," he said in a voice that sounded suspiciously like a whimper.

Rin blinked. "You are a demon, aren't you?"

"And? I'm water, not air!"

_Oh, sure, skating down a suicidal ice slope is no problem, but a little flying? _"Don't be a baby. Look down at the village."

Kichiruka did, and felt his stomach lurch. "How much farther?" He closed his eyes before his head started to spin. Suddenly, the gut-wrenching sensation of a freefall jolted him enough to open his eyes.

"We're here."

Kilala came to a smooth enough landing, but Kichiruka dove into his element at the first second.

"Thanks, kitty-cat." Reaching out of the brook, he patted Kilala between the ears and she purred appreciatively. Then he sank back into deeper water

"Do I have to fish you back out?" Rin teased from the bank.

Kichiruka's eyes batted back over the surface. "Fine," he grumbled, crawling out. The water demon lay on the earth for a while, embracing its shiftless, solid form. He rolled on his back, but closed his eyes against the sky.

"Okay, it wasn't that scary." Rin lightly tapped a knuckle against his head.

Then Kichiruka hushed her. Motioning with his eyes, he "pointed" to his outstretched palm and the creature resting inside it. "A bee."

"Careful!" Rin cautioned, falling back off her heels. "Watch out for that stinger!"

She didn't quite realize how unnecessary the warning was until Kichiruka gave her a droll look. "I'm not sure whether to be enthused or insulted that you occasionally forget I'm yokai," he mumbled. Returning his attentions to the bee, the water demon observed, "Its wings are frozen."

Rin nodded. "Yeah, I think that happens if they spend the night outside the hive. They liven up, though, if they sit in the sun long enough…Could you please get rid of him now?"

"Her," Kichiruka corrected. "Only the females fly." He extended his hand to her, but she shirked away.

"I…I don't like that buzzing they make," Rin admitted sheepishly. "Like right before they sting you."

Matching the bubbling cadence of the brook, Kichiruka laughed softly. "Everyone I've met, humans and yokai alike, they all want control." Kichiruka extended his spotted arm demonstratively, letting the bee scuttle from his elbow to wrist. "That's why we imagine…and why, when something displeases or frightens us, we destroy it."

Rin's eyes widened as he made to smash the insect. "No!"

The sly smile that stretched across Kichiruka's face assured her he wouldn't.

"You're twisted," Rin scowled at him.

Kichiruka chortled, then continued evenly. "But reality, you see, is so much less predictable. We try to escape it just as comprehension and tolerance of this changing world elude us."

"That's why I love wishes." With a flick of his wrist, the bee whizzed off. Rin failed to suppress the yip its buzzing excited from her throat. Kichiruka laughed. "Oh, wishes string you along and just when you think the opportunity is near it flits away. How I love to make them real…"

"Are we still talking about wishes?" Rin finally asked. _Can you be serious for just one moment?_

Scratching Kilala between her ears, Kichiruka chuckled. In one breath, he answered both her questions. "Possibly."

oOo

"So how far have you gotten?" Tensai dryly asked, half-focused on his engravings.

Kichiruka brushed aside a bit of seaweed that had caught on the tablet he was studying. Tensai's "office," sterilized as it was, never seemed to be devoid of oddball plant life. "Well, she's definitely warmed up to me. But I'm not sure if…"

"I inquired about your progress with terrestrial prowess," Tensai snipped, "not your little love life."

"Who's talking about love?" Kichiruka straightened and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're the one with the wandering mind, you dolt. That's the second question I've posed today that you made relative to your so-called coach." Yellow eyes rolled in their sockets coupled with a disgusted sigh. "You're besotted with her," he accused.

"No!" Kichiruka denied vehemently. After all, he'd never admitted to anything.

Tensai's eyes narrowed, but he simply grumbled, "Good. She's a human."

Kichiruka felt a wave of umbrage on Rin's behalf. "What's that got to do with anything?" he challenged.

"You'll outlive her or she'll outgrow you soon enough. It doesn't matter which comes first, so don't bother."

"How would you know?"

"Before I became your teacher I had a _life_, boy." The way he slung the words made Kichiruka feel callow and stupid. And angry. Tensai didn't know Rin.

"This, Master Tensai, is a subjective experience; you can't compare it to anything else," he defended. "She makes me feel alive. I…I love her not just for who she is but for what I become when I'm around her. I can feel my soul finally stir for something worthwhile."

"Fool, yokai don't have souls!"

Kichiruka fell silent. _We don't?_ He considered this information. What did it feel like to have a soul? Or to be void of one? Tentatively, he poked his stomach. "Then I suppose I've grown one."

"Damned idiot!" Tensai swore, slamming the tablet down on his stone desk. "Get over it! What? Do you think you'll spend your whole life with her?"

Mirroring his master's frown, Kichiruka stared fixedly ahead. Tensai flinched.

"You really do, eh? Is that why you've been performing these little daredevil feats? Why you're so carelessly expending your own life's energy with the conch? In hopes you'll match her lifespan?"

"…Yes."

"Ah," he sighed in mock enlightenment. "So you have this all planned out. Then explain to me, what are you going to do when she wants to have children? Can you take responsibility for that?" His tail lashed as he stalked straight up to Kichiruka. "Humans are prejudiced against our kind enough and demons likewise, what do you think the world is going to be like for a half-demon?"

"Half-demon?" Kichiruka blinked.

"Your offspring, moron!" Tensai roared. "If you die within her lifetime who's going to tend to your brood? And if you decide _not_ to have children, well, who are you to deny her such a thing? If you _love_ her, who are you to be so selfish?" Kichiruka noticed his master wasn't staring at him anymore, how the sails on his arms and head quivered. Abruptly, Tensai swung around on him. "Get out," he spat, lip curling in a snarl. "Get out of my study before I forget all I've invested and kill you now."

Kichiruka paddled back. "Master?"

_"OUT!" _

Hurriedly, Kichiruka disappeared in a self-made whirlpool. When he opened his eyes again he was looking at the inside of his home. As his vision cleared his mind grew cluttered again. The young demon wasn't sure what to make of his emotions anymore. Were they just whims? Ones that he would regret indulging? Would he have to sedate the memories with a flask like Tensai? Was he just wasting everyone's time? What did Tensai know about Rin's kind anyway?

_Apparently a lot. _

_._

_A/N: Thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. _


	30. Teach a Man to Fish

**Teach a Man to Fish**

Blue eyes watched Kohaku with an intensity that put the taijiya on edge. Over the years, he had grown used to Sesshomaru's long, scrutinizing looks. You couldn't expect something that wasn't human to observe the same etiquette. But even the dog-demon got the hint when discomfort steeped Kohaku's scent. Kichiruka just stared on.

"So…what did you want to ask?" The taijiya finally broke the silence, scratching pensively at his whiskered chin with the arm that wasn't wrapped in bandages. This was a rare moment when there was a whole room of his brother-in-law's home unoccupied for a scant breath of privacy.

"Much…" Kichiruka said softly, looking back and forth between Kohaku and Miyoko. He didn't exactly want say what he had observed this morning on his way into the village, how the two humans had their bodies intertwined in embrace. And the familiar proximity of their faces, lip-locked – or kissing as Kichiruka recognized actions from his ichthyic friends who occasionally did the same and even rubbed gills together. _Tasting each other._

Kichiruka often wondered what flavor Rin's smile had.

"Well, if you have a lot of questions," Kohaku said, pulling his guest back to the present, "we'd better start somewhere. So?"

"When is it appropriate for humans to kiss?" Kichiruka blurted out.

"What?" Kohaku nearly fell over backwards and his fiancée, Miyoko, beside him giggled. The slayer's mind scrambled to make sense of the question. _Damn, I wonder if he's had this talk with Sesshomaru yet._ Kichiruka seemed awfully familiar with the village and its residents – _and even Inuyasha, in addition to Rin_ – so it only made sense that he must have. _I guess_.

"Also," the yokai continued boldly, shrugging off his increasing embarrassment, "Can I practice on you?"

"Wha—? No!" Kohaku reached for his exterminator's mask, hopefully it could block more than miasma. "You gotta do it with a girl!"

"Can I practice with her, then?" Kichiruka pointed to Miyoko who, with a sweet, friendly smile, was already brandishing a set of kunai knives between her fingers.

Kohaku tapped the blunt side of his kusarigama against Kichiruka's spotted forehead. "It has to be with your _own_ girl." "But I want to impress her…or at least not screw up."

Miyoko smiled gently at the water demon in his lovesick plight. "Kohaku, you help him."

"Really?" both men cried, albeit in completely different pitches of voice.

Kichiruka smiled openly, but the taijiya just proceeded to knot the mask around the back of his head. "No," came his echoed reply.

Azure eyes pleaded gently. "Look, I wasn't born with this body," Kichiruka presented. "I've never had my nose longer than my mouth. How am I supposed to make _that_ work?"

"Well…you, uh…" Kohaku molded the air with his hands as if he could conjure two demonstrative heads out of nowhere. "They kinda tilt, see? So, you can…ah…Miyoko? Help?"

Kohaku's fiancée giggled into her fist. "Keep going. You're doing a great job."

The demonslayer turned three shades brighter. Kichiruka stared back in rapt fascination. "And then?"

"Well…then you kiss her!"

"Why can't you just show me?"

"Because that'd be weird!"

"Males in my clan were never shy about showing affection for one another."

"It's _different_ with humans."

Around this time Rin was rounding the wing to Kohaku's room, the poultice for his arm mixed in the bowl she carried. She slid open the door.

"Kiss me," Kichiruka begged.

"No!" Kohaku protested.

"Hi, Rin," Miyoko greeted.

For her part, Sesshomaru's charge turned bright pink.

"Drat, I didn't want her to see this," she heard Kichiruka grumble.

_He likes…guys?_ Well, that explained all the touching and fascination with Miroku and now Kohaku. _There are no single, straight men left in the world, not even demon ones. _"Sorry for, uh, interrupting," she managed lamely. "Kagome prepped these for you, Kohaku." Rin smirked. "Whenever you're ready to take off that mask." Hurrying before the last of her bravado dissipated, she set down the bowl just inside the doorway and darted out, roughly sliding the panel closed.

Rin heard it clatter open almost immediately after she'd closed it. She kept her sights set on the end of the corridor.

"Hey, wait!" Kichiruka dashed to catch up.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, Kich', but Kohaku's already engaged." She laughed mirthlessly and kept walking.

"Oh, that's no problem," Kichiruka said simply, then Rin turned to gape at him. "I mean…no, no! I don't swing that way. I just…wanted to practice."

"Practice?" _Kichiruka _has_ a girl?_ "Oh…uh, interesting selection then."

"Yeah, wish I could have had a go."

Rin laughed. "Why don't you just try it on her?" she automatically advised. _This is why I'm still single!_

"Really?"

"Yeah, they say every person is different so the only way you can learn is –"

_Um, wow…_ Rin found herself suddenly at a loss for words.

He kept his lips closed and was holding her much too tight, but Kichiruka's fervor was fully conveyed. Rin half-opened her eyes and realized he had never closed his. Blue eyes crossed awkwardly and he grinned sheepishly so her lips were suddenly pressed to his teeth. Rin laughed and had to pull away.

Well, at least she was smiling. "Did I do it right?"

Rin's laughter chorused louder, but before Kichiruka could even think of slinking away in humiliation she grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him in for a full-on smooch.

Still giggling, Rin kissed his cheek, then leaned over to whisper in his ear, "You taste good." And she held him close.

Tucked under his chin, Rin fit perfectly against him. Kichiruka was just her size. He nuzzled her hair and the ivory comb dropped out, clattering to the veranda's wooden planks, but Rin didn't take notice. Honestly, Kichiruka hardly did either.

He felt…happy, like everything was right with the world for once, that his teacher was wrong, and, human or not, he could never feel bitter toward Rin or anything would come to pass between them. If he could get his beating heart under control again, Kichiruka would've bet it could keep perfect time with Rin's to laugh with her, body and soul. Spurred on, he leaned in for another kiss, carefully tilting his head this time. And closing his eyes.

She met him with equal ardor. Rin pictured his eyes, the startled blue of summer morning skies, and trembled as the ends of his long, sharp bangs tickling her cheeks. She let her hands wander to trace the curves of his perked ears, feeling his lightly slicked skin…He wasn't slimy, not anymore, he was Kichiruka – endearing and klutzy, kind and inquisitive. And, best of all, he was hers. His kiss swore the sincerest covenant she could receive.

She parted her lips invitingly, but the demon gently drew away, sighing contentedly. A broad grin shared between them. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her flush with him. Being in Rin's embrace felt like returning home after a long arduous journey. For the first time since he was a child, Kichiruka felt as though he were exactly where he was supposed to be.

Rin's smile was delicious and Kichiruka wanted to savor every drop of home.

.

_A/N: This chapter took first place for IY Themes' "kiss" prompt on LiveJournal. Originally 1,000 words, it's been (pardon the pun) fluffed out to 1,300. And this is me being silly: feral-instinct(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Hooked-Something-Fishy-177586393_

_Thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated._


	31. Neither Fish, Flesh, Nor Fowl

_A/N: I offer my gratitude to everyone who voted for Kichiruka as one of the best OCs for the InuYasha Fan Guild for the third 2010 quarter! Thank you!_

**Neither Fish, Flesh, nor Fowl**

"Why aren't you more complicated?" Rin complained, a smile tugging on one corner of her mouth.

Kichiruka lowered his chopsticks and blinked over the rim of his bowl. "Mm?"

Without a cloud in the sky, the unobstructed sunshine offered its warmth on the breezy summer day. Birdsong lilted on the back of the wind. And Rin had brought lunch for them to enjoy by the brook. Really this wasn't the sort of day you were supposed to feel complicated.

"Ah, never mind." Rin resumed her meal.

"What? You want me to be some tortured soul?" Kichiruka chuckled softly into his bowl and continued eating. "Only need one moody person between us."

"Hey!" Rin nibbled on a pickled cucumber. "Well, I mean…" She let her voice trail. What she really wanted to do was to ask Kichiruka more about himself, his family precisely. _Like where the hell does he get all this optimism?_ For all he knew, his family thought he was dead. Randomly, she remembered the single lantern he'd lit on Obon. _Was that for himself?_ she wondered._ Doesn't it depress him?_ If it did, Rin wanted to hear about. Wanted him to share with her. She wanted to feel needed. Like, in her own way, she had someone to protect.

"Those…matters aren't something I care to focus too much on," Kichiruka said abruptly. "Maybe I'll find _them_ someday, but for now" – he looked at Rin and offered a faint smile – "there are better things to consider. It's not worth chasing after a phantom to lose what I have in my sights."

She only had a moment to see Kichiruka's smile broaden before his ears quivered and he turned to the brook. Rin saw concern tighten his jaw as she set the rest of her lunch aside. The tranquil brook's waters sloshed violently. In a matter of seconds the wide stream became a rapid; then, as the torrent kicked up, it roared into a whirlpool.

Rin reached for the green hilt at her side. "A demonic aura?"

"See what happens when you wish for things to get more complicated?" Kichiruka picked up the conch staff and stood in front of her.

Suddenly the whirlpool inverted, a column of water shooting up in its place. Then the powerful blast broke to rain back down. Spinning the staff, Kichiruka absorbed the shower, successfully keeping his vision clear. He squinted through the parting mist and picked out a thin figure sitting on the brook's central rock.

A man dressed in unsplit hakama lounged on the small boulder, one arm supported his weight while the other was propped casually on his knee. He had pointed ears and there was a familiar pattern of white squares on the flowing, black robe that draped over his shoulders, but it was his particularly long nose that Kichiruka instantly recognized.

"Master Tensai?"

A tight smile stretched across the man's gaunt face.

Rin cocked her head. _This is Kichiruka's teacher?_ She studied the black hair, flecked with silver and receding, and the wrinkles that cut into his face. She'd seen old demons – practically living fossils, like Totosai and Myoga – and young ones, as well as more animal ones who didn't look like any distinguishable age, but never had Rin seen middle-aged yokai. It didn't seem like something that happened. To have an in-between phase, it seemed too…human.

The middle section of the stranger's hair that sprang out in odd waves could have resembled something like fins if Rin squinted just right. But he still appeared…normal. Hadn't Kichiruka said Tensai looked considerably less human?

_That's a pretty good front. He might blend in better than Kich'. _

"Say, I thought you forgot how to put on a mortal's likeness." Kichiruka looked askance at his teacher.

Tensai crossed his arms, only dark blue lines marked his forearms where sails would have normally spiked. "My memory comes and goes," he said wryly. A slight blush tinged the old demon's cheeks. Momentarily, the clear of his eyes flickered from white to their typical jaundiced color.

"Master, have you been drinking?"

Tensai shrugged. "Make up your mind. Do you want me sociable or snappy?"

Rin saw blue eyes roll skyward, but her friend didn't relinquish his protective stance before her. "Was it necessary?"

"Sociable or snappy, boy? And you'll need someone who can speak well of you should this" – he waved from Rin to Kichiruka – "raise questions at home." Whisking a hand through the brook, Tensai drew up a water sphere as his student did.

_Except this one's airy on the inside,_ Rin noticed. _It looks almost like glass. _

"As it is," the older demon continued. "I don't need another unhappy woman on my conscience."

The bubble balanced on Tensai's fingertips wavered and for a split-second Rin thought she caught the image of smiling lady. Young, pretty, and human. But a bony hand ripped through the sphere before Rin could really be sure.

_Wonder if he always uses visuals when he talks. _

"So I'm here to evaluate the case for myself." Tensai gestured to the whole of his form and, incidentally, the completion of his disguise. "It's pleasing to see that my efforts were for such a pretty dame."

Automatically, Kichiruka slipped his arm possessively around Rin's shoulder.

Tensai laughed and it sounded hard and sharp like broken glass. "Oh, don't worry. A draught may whet desire, but it hampers performance. Huh." His eyes flicked up and down Kichiruka. "Youth always is wasted on young idiots." His feet dipped into the water as the demon slid into a slightly more upright position as if the motion alone would straighten out his speech pattern. "Enough about me, though. I came to see about the girl who now consumes so much of your attention, Kichiruka." Tensai took in the bright colors of Rin's clothes, if he had to guess at fabric he would've said silk. "Young lady, what is your house?"

"You mean my family?" Rin crossed her arms and stood her ground. She didn't like cowering behind Kichiruka. "I live in the next village over."

Tensai's eyes widened. "Is that so? Then how is it you are so well kept?"

"You're prying, master." Kichiruka resumed his stance.

The swordfish glared at his student. Even tipsy he wouldn't apologize, but he nodded and held his silence.

Rin cleared her throat. "My provider is a noble."

"An orphan charged to a yokai," he said, touching a hand to his chin. "That _is_ interesting."

Something must have shown in Rin's expression because Tensai elaborated, "I noticed that's an infusion blade you wear."

"Master Tensai," Kichiruka warned.

"She volunteered first," the older demon muttered. But where had he heard of this situation before? Tensai wracked his muddled brain, wishing he could will himself to sobriety. The fuzzy feeling that the liquor had afforded him distilled to a spiked annoyance; the brunt of his irritability directed at the inability to fully piece together such an opportunity. _A girl-child belonging to an elite yokai…?_ Lord Ichikawa had mentioned this once. _Damn, which dirt-prowling demon was it?_

"Say, Master Tensai?" called the girl. "Are you a tengu?"

"I'm a swordfish!" Tensai snapped, jerked out of his musings.

Kichiruka laughed. "Good point. With the nose and all, he does look like a crow goblin."

"Huh." The swordfish in question leered at the two, fighting back his own smile. "I don't see how anyone could make that mistake."

"It's difficult to get a good look at you from here. Why don't you cross over to the bank?" Rin invited. _Kichiruka's here. I don't think his teacher would pose a real threat._ And he seemed so lonely sitting by himself in the brook.

"Huh," Tensai huffed again, but decided to comply. Pushing off from the rock, he flowed over the water and on to the bank in a smooth, rippling motion. His skirted hakama still swirled over the grass after he came to a stop. Rin noticed he pointedly avoided completely facing her; instead, Tensai turned his head in her direction and gave her his flank, most of which was covered by the light robe. He kept his arms crossed and frowned.

_Guess the "sociable" effects of his drink are already wearing off. _Considering the fast metabolism of yokai, it wasn't a bad guess.

Rin studied the demon while she could. On his feet, Tensai stood slightly shorter than his student, but with a noticeably leaner frame. Up-close, his piscine traits were clear. The gills on his neck flexed open and shut in time with his rising chest. Where Kichiruka had a human nose complete with nostrils this demon's features were far more fish-like. Although his skin had a tawny, human complexion, the long, thin lance on his face that pointed out where a nose should have been seemed to be little more than a means to "blend-in." _Like his "hair"_ – at this proximity, Rin saw the cropped strands were scales.

"Master Tensai?" she asked when she realized the second water yokai was scrutinizing her just as intensely.

"Eyes such as yours are rare," he murmured.

"Brown?" Kichiruka said. "It's a common color for human eyes."

"No, no – I know _that_, you moron. It's…" He heaved a flustered sigh and re-crossed his arms under his robe. Tensai looked at Rin again. "It's been three hundred years since last I saw eyes _just_ like yours, girl." He turned around to Kichiruka. "Don't screw up a good thing."

The yoki that thickened the air quickly dissipated with Rin's unexpected question. "So, Master Tensai, do you live off of Mikan Coast as well?"

"Hm? Yes. Kichiruka has shown it to you?" The demon's forehead furrowed. He would've remembered such a thing.

"Actually, I haven't," Kichiruka said.

"But you have mentioned it." Rin smiled and looked between the two yokai. "I'd like to see it if that's all right."

Tensai shrugged. "If you keep to the coast, I don't see why he couldn't give you a ride around there."

"A ride?" Rin blinked at Kichiruka. "You mean his true form is big enough for that?"

"You don't know his subspecies?" Tensai's brow arched and he practically smiled.

"He's not just a plain water demon?"

"Didn't he tell you this was his temporary form?"

"I know that," Rin said. "I just thought his other form was a sea creature…like a fish or something."

Tensai laughed, a short series of half-breathed barks. "All right, boy," he tugged on Kichiruka's topknot, "I take it back, if you can make this work, you're not a fool but a far better diplomat than I dreamt possible."

"She never asked." Kichiruka grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Rin's eyes followed his hand, she reached over to each of the water demon's shoulders. "Hey, sit down a minute." Inquisitively, she pushed Kichiruka's head to one side, wondering if she would find gills similar to Tensai's. As Rin inspected his neck, Kichiruka's eyes fluttered shut and he entertained a fantasy or three.

"No gills." Her mild surprise unconcealed, Tensai watched with quiet amusement as the girl knelt to study his pupil closer as she had him.

"And you don't have scales," she observed.

"Is that a problem?" Kichiruka examined his own spotted arm with Rin still running two fingers across it, checking for scales, he assumed. "Rin…" he said when more than the hairs on his arm started to rise in response to her touch.

_Well, even Lord Sesshomaru has fur that puffs over his shoulder_. She pressed closer. "Well, aren't you a fish?"

A smile quirked the corners of Kichiruka's lips. "I beg your pardon?"

"Aren't you a fish demon?"

The water yokai laughed outright. "No, not really." Rin stared at him, perplexed. "I'm what you'd call 'fake-fish,' I guess."

_Fake?_ He looked real enough to Rin. "Well, what are you then? An eel?"

Kichiruka's grin grew. "No gills, remember? Guess again."

"A seahorse?"

"Nope." He snickered.

"An…octopus?"

Kichiruka laughed.

"Tell me!"

"Oh, this _is_ rich!"

Rin looked at Tensai for help, but he just gave a closed-lip smile and drifted off to examine a nearby tree. Turning back to Kichiruka, Rin playfully pounded the puffy shoulders of his short-jacket. "Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" She paused. "A squid?"

"Come, Rin dear. What do you know about me?"

Her brow furrowed, comparing what she knew about fish with her odd friend. From the shallow experience she had with the timid water creatures, staring at them in ponds and rivers, they swam away at the slightest motion in their direction. Kichiruka was friendly. And he loved to laugh, pull faces, and tease. And talk. "A seal?"

Kichiruka barked and clapped his hands. Then turned to Rin. "Wrong."

_Seriously?_ "Will you at least show me?"

"Maybe."

"Can I go to Mikan with you?"

"Well…"

Tensai smiled to himself. The drink's buzz was wearing off, but his irritation subsided as he watched the pair. He observed the way Kichiruka laughed and relaxed around the girl. It wasn't the lollygag attitude he had in the ocean. Kichiruka talked animatedly with Rin, a lively glow all about him. _Alas, he's dead to me. But did it have to be a human?_ Teachers, "the ones who come before," were supposed to warn their students of their own past mistakes. _Perhaps I've been refusing to study mine for too long_. Tensai groaned. He needed another drink.

"Kichiruka," he called, making his way back to the brook. "Come. Ichikawa expects us on time this evening."

"Okay, I'll be along after you."

Tensai massaged his temples. "No, you're taking both of us. I…need a hand."

"You mean twin teleportation?" Kichiruka spluttered, his fingers wrapping tightly around the conch staff.

"My head hurts right now. Consider this an exam." He reached into his sleeve and withdrew a slip. "Here's the incantation. Hurry up and review."

Kichiruka grumbled and snatched up the slip as he wandered off to mumble it over to himself in private.

Rin giggled. "It looks like you're always springing stuff on him. I noticed that he studies very hard with you."

"Tch, he wastes half his talent on simpleton tricks. And the rest on dangerous ones."

Rin's gut churned. "Hazardous spells? Which are those?"

Turning his gaze back to Kichiruka off in the distance, Tensai tilted his head toward Rin. "Child, what are you?"

"Pardon me?" Rin regarded the question with a puzzled look of her own. "What am I what?"

Tensai finally turned to face her. "What are you that you can make him laugh so?"

"Kichiruka's always laughing. That's nothing unusual."

The older demon shook his head, his nose wicking through the air. "No, no, no. I mean, he's laughing in true joy. Not that he's ever told me, but I strongly get the impression that most times he laughs away sorrows."

Rin's eyes widened and she remembered Kichiruka's old mantra: laugh or cry. And his reluctance to admit his more "troubling" emotions. _But in twenty-some-odd years he hasn't talked to even his teacher about it? _

"Does he say anything to you about his family?"

"Nope." Tensai paused thoughtfully. "He's a drifter, I'm sure of that. Our lord provides a living quarters for him, but he refuses to take up residence there. Kichiruka likes to learn. That's probably what kept him tethered for so long." He laughed. "And why he puts up with me. Though I didn't expect him to stay much longer after I'd presented him with the conch staff. Everything else he practices is additional." _And I don't always condone it._ Tensai considered the young lady standing beside him. "It was about that time that my student took an interest in terrestrial…eh, studies. I think he's at last found something resembling a family, what say you?"

_Does he need me?_ Rin smiled. "That's up to Kichiruka."

"Well, I've never seen him this…healthy before." Tensai stared off into space, lapsing into brief silence. "Miss Rin," he said lightly, his voice managing a weary gentleness. "I will remember to use less alcohol the next time we meet. I realize it is unnecessary." Then, like flicking a switching, the swordfish's tone returned to its gruffness. "Kichiruka! Do I have to hunt down a new apprentice? Let's go!"

Mumbling softly to himself with his eyes closed, Kichiruka approached them again. Finally, his eyes snapped open. "Okay, I think I got it."

"Took long enough. It's only a bridge spell," Tensai snorted as he stepped into the water.

"I better get going." Kichiruka looked at Rin, gazing at her lips before he could help it. Then self-consciously he glanced back at his teacher. And just tipped his head politely. "See you in a couple of days, Rin dear." Without further ado, Kichiruka turned to catch up with his mentor.

As his student joined him, Tensai harrumphed. "Damn, boy, if you wanted to kiss her just do it."

"I was being considerate of you, master," Kichiruka grumbled under his breath as he readied his conch staff and strapped it over Tensai's chest. "Please remember to think of our destination. Your study?" the water demon droned with plain annoyance. He hoped Rin had missed Tensai's commentary.

"Heh, 'Rin dear' – hoo boy. You're had," Tensai snickered.

Kichiruka groaned. _I liked him better as a bitter old cynic_. Before the old man could embarrass him further he recited the incantation and splashed his conch through the brook. Student and teacher were gone before the water settled.

Rin watched the slipping current of the brook for a few minutes more. She had the warm feeling that she had outdone Tensai's expectations. He was familiar with people, she was sure of that. And like most demons who encountered humans, he didn't expect to find anything he would've liked. But he had made an effort to be "sociable."

_Even if he was half-inebriated out of his mind. _

After collecting the bowls and utensils, Rin smiled fondly at the brook one last time before leaving.

_I'm glad I got to meet him. _

Now if only she could guarantee the same introduction of Kichiruka to Sesshomaru.

oOo

In the comfortable solitude of her own home that evening, Rin dug through the small chest. And took out an old book. Since she used to bounce back and forth between eras, Kagome was always forgetting stuff and when she vanished for three years she left behind a school text.

She'd been a kid back then, but Rin still remembered it was the same book the miko had forgotten before: a heavy, cumbersome tome filled with pictures of plants and animals and other illustrations she couldn't identify. She used to think it was a spell book. And maybe Kagome had really hated this subject in particular since she was always forgetting it. The first time the young priestess had forgotten the book, Sesshomaru had picked it up. He'd taken a keen interest in the text and spent a few days making charts and taking samples. Rin never did get what all that was about, but then again the daiyokai had a strange taste for diversion.

On that second round, when Kagome didn't come back for, Rin remembered Inuyasha hanging on to the book for the longest time. And his fury when other people touched it. In spite of the hanyo's best efforts, the heavy book had lost most of Kagome's scent after only a year had gone.

Since Rin had shown the most interest Inuyasha let her borrow it. He didn't know she pretty much just wanted to imitate Sesshomaru and try to read the same stuff he did.

"What's it say?" she had asked the daiyokai on his following visit.

"Biology," Sesshomaru droned automatically as he reached into the space between his armor and clothes to pull out a new kimono. Then paused. "Do you want to read it?"

Silver brows had risen fractionally and Rin didn't think her guardian could have been happier at her enthusiastic response. He came back the next day with a writing kit.

The text in the book had offered a standardized format of writing rather than having to adjust for every person's different script. Often the subjects were confusing to the point where even Sesshomaru admitted he wasn't entirely sure what it was saying. He encouraged Rin to read it anyway, keeping her in stock of paper to note any further questions.

_Come to think of it, he pushed me even before I learned basic combat. _

The impressed expression on Kagome's face when she returned was worth it. Although there still were whole sections that went over Rin's head no matter how thoroughly Kagome explained it, she continued to use the textbook as her primary source for reading. Even if only to prove she could.

Cracking open the heavy volume for the first time in a while, Rin inhaled the treasured musky scent. This is what knowledge must have smelled like. Although the book never made any mention of yokai, it had vast sections on common plants and animals, some of which she'd never heard. At the very least, the textbook could help her form a hypothesis about Kichiruka.

Rin smiled. "Hypothesis" was a word she'd learned from here.

Leafing through the pages she went to the marine life section of the tome. Her eyes rolled over the pictures. She was always fascinated at how some of the illustrations looked so real. They made her half-believe Kagome's ramblings about lights and ka-ma-ras. Rin studied the strange pug face of one photographed creature. Fat and torpedo-shaped, the "man-uh-tee" looked friendly enough. But Kichiruka was of slighter frame than that. And none of these creatures were native to the area.

_Then again, didn't Kichiruka say he'd wandered pretty far before coming here?_

Rin dog-earred the page and skimmed the other pictures. Seahorses, whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine animals that looked like something in between. Maybe Kichiruka was teasing and really was one of the very animals she stared at right now. _I can see why his teacher probably gets annoyed with him so often. _Rin yawned. She'd take another look in the morning. Snuffing the candle, she rolled into bed with a small scowl.

"Kichiruka, why can't you be simple?"

.

_A/N: I always kind of liked the running gag in the InuYasha series of "Hey, you're a tanuki!" followed by "No! I'm a fox/otter/whatever-demon!" Tengu are my personal favorite tricksters. **Advertisement:** For more adventures with Kagome's biology book check out my other story "Scientific Clairvoyance." **Secondary Advertisement:** An old teacher introduced me to a humorous little picture book. Ask your local bookseller about "It's a Book" by Lane Smith._


	32. Clammed Up

**Clammed Up**

Rin dug for the canteen she knew Sesshomaru kept in Ah-Un's left saddlebag. She pulled it out along with the cloth to mop the sweat from her brow. The threadbare work clothes that served double duty as her training apparel hung drenched and heavy, the thick collar alone chafing at her neck. Undoing her ponytail, Rin looked up in time to catch Jaken smirking at how her hair puffed out in the humidity.

_It's so unfair._ Sesshomaru stood without so much as a trickle of perspiration to show that he had just participated in the same grueling practice. Seeing Rin glower at him, he caught her eye. Wordlessly, the daiyokai directed her line of vision to his shattered shoulder guard. Rin's bragging point for the day. Sesshomaru would mend it later, for now he would wear the broken armor for her. The wisp of a child he'd found had grown strong and she deserved to see the power of her efforts.

He looked back at Rin with silent praise. _You did well._

The young woman smiled, but it was half-hearted. Their "conversations" often carried on like this. _But I want to say more._

Sesshomaru stepped forward. _Care to talk?_

Sitting down on a fallen log, Rin shook her head. Then sighed. _Nah, not yet._

_I'll wait_. He turned around and gazed distractedly at the few clouds that blotted the sky. Usually, on quiet moments by himself, Sesshomaru reflected on his next task at hand: the next range to patrol, a policy to review, and – if he was lucky – perhaps a worthwhile opponent to cross blades with. But having Rin around was different. His concerns narrowed to a single life. In these accompanied quiet moments his mind drifted from grand machinations to guarded memories.

.

Sesshomaru hardly deigned to rest. He had survived the Wind Scar, felt the claws of his father's finest technique drag him within an inch of his life. It was as if he'd been demoted to puppyhood again and given his first trouncing. Only Sesshomaru swore he wouldn't be humiliated further this time. He had rested all the days necessary to overcome the paralysis and moved on, unable to stand being sedentary a minute longer. But now even some time after leaving the glade, the daiyokai still felt the aftershock. The network of knots that worked a throbbing soreness through him only compounded the tremor in his wrist and stutter in his step.

After a week's futility, Sesshomaru finally succumbed to his body's demands for rest. And sat down. With Jaken on a fool's errand and only a mute child for company, he could have something of a day's peace and quiet. Slumped against the trunk of a tree that bordered a grassy clearing, Sesshomaru relaxed as many muscles as possible, hoping the ache would stretch out with them.

His blade-arm, now only arm as of these past few months, lay motionless at his side, hand sprawled palm-up.

Then his nose quivered and amber eyes half opened.

_The little waif._

It was like having a desk in the room. The girl was there, but she existed on the fringes of Sesshomaru's awareness. Drawing only attention if he paid her any.

_Or until she gets this close. _

Determined to have a moment to himself, Sesshomaru refused to acknowledge the brat. Couldn't she entertain herself with the scenery? Wasn't there something more fascinating to study?

Still faced forward, he chanced a glimpse at her. She smiled.

_Apparently, in this field of flowers and grubs, she decides the most fascinating creature is me. _The daiyokai grimaced. For as true as that may have been, he wished she would leave him be.

Sesshomaru waited for the whelp to lose interest as children often do. The expediency of flaring his aura never occurred to him.

The little girl grinned, even giggling some.

"Huh," Sesshomaru huffed. The only intelligent talk in the air.

Then he picked up a sense of motion. The little girl reached over, tentatively with trembling fingers, and with a speed that even demon eyes had trouble registering, patted the center of Sesshomaru's palm. Twice in rapid succession, then retreated.

Sesshomaru took his time angling his head to fix the girl with his signature stare of disinterest.

"What?" he asked.

She shook her head.

The demon waited. This wasn't a vocal plea for attention, but it was a forward motion nonetheless. The girl-whelp had spunk. He wanted to see if this behavior would repeat itself.

Instead, she watched a passing dragonfly and fiddled with the grass, feigning sudden disinterest in her subject.

It took another minute for Sesshomaru to realize that so long as he was watching her the girl wasn't going to reattempt her venture. _And she's not going to talk_. With an inward sigh at having to humor a child, he looked in the other direction.

Again came the series of pats. A little slower this time. One. Two. Then she withdrew.

Sesshomaru kept his attention averted. Why wasn't she reaching for his pelt? What could have been so fascinating about his hand? Perhaps that he only had one? No, the girl had already studied that avenue yesterday with one sure tug on his empty sleeve. At that time he needed only glare and she got the hint.

Just when he was about to give up on the purpose, she tapped again. This time letting her hand rest in his palm.

Sesshomaru looked down. The girl's little pink hand resting in the whole of his palm. He curled two claws inward. The tiny hand bunched into a fist. But Sesshomaru simply touched the tips of his fingers to her knuckles…and tapped.

Her fist flinched. Then slowly uncurled. Sesshomaru checked the girl's expression.

A smile bloomed on her face just as she drew back her hand again. This time she patted once, only once, and let her fingers hover over Sesshomaru's palm. When the claw-tipped digit tapped back she laughed. Laughed as if they were partaking in some child's game. The daiyokai frowned. Never had he made anyone laugh before.

Though Sesshomaru found no particular amusement in the situation, he made no recession. If she had managed to laugh just the other night from the Obon, perhaps there was more to this new farce than was being presented.

_She knows I'm not posing a threat_, he concluded.

It wasn't the point of just touching him that the little girl was trying out. Rather, it seemed she deliberately sought out his most common means of attack. And played with them.

_She trusts. _

.

With an easy grace, Sesshomaru took up a seat beside Rin on the fallen trunk, resting his hand on his knee. Palm-up, of course.

It took Rin a moment before she noticed the silent offer. She tapped twice and, when Sesshomaru made no objection, let her hand lay in his the second time. Even at her age with the tips of her fingers making it to the other side of his larger hand, hers still felt so small.

"I guess I should tell you," Rin began. "I'm…"

When her voice trailed, Jaken opened his beak to hurry her on. And quickly decided against it as amber eyes flashed his way. Sesshomaru didn't turn to face Rin. Whatever she had to say he wanted her to be without inhibition.

Her hand curled up into a fist. Tense.

"I'm going out to Mikan beach tomorrow."

Now Sesshomaru turned and arched a brow. _Is that all?_ He touched two talons to the tops of Rin's knuckles.

"I'll be with a friend who has familiarity of the area," she added. Even though she was being honest with Lord Sesshomaru, her stomach still churned. She wished she could just spit out what was on her mind this whole time. But saying "I've fallen for a demon," just didn't have quite the ring it did yesterday. A glance Inuyasha's way on her return had been enough. The history between Sesshomaru and his half-brother still carried an uneasy rift, one Rin didn't want to hew into her relationship with the daiyokai.

Something told her that Sesshomaru thought likewise. That if there was a romantic interest to be found in a yokai partner, he would sooner kill that being than deal with Rin as someone he merely "tolerated."

As unflappable as the dog-demon often was, Rin was no stranger to the sight of him losing his temper. And once those pretty gold eyes bled scarlet someone usually wound up dead. If anything, Rin wanted to enjoy one last excursion with Kichiruka before all hell broke loose.

Sesshomaru mulled over the information Rin had given him. It was considerably more than she had been sharing of late. And still he wasn't so easily pacified. These were no longer the days when he could set her down somewhere and tell her to wait until he returned. Rin had the habit of wandering off now. "Do I know this person?"

"No," Rin confessed. "But I'll be safe."

She would meet many people the daiyokai wouldn't know or even be there to weed out. It was a troubling concept. Did he trust her? _No_, came Sesshomaru's staunch reply.

But she had told him exactly where she would be. And with company she knew. Discretely, Sesshomaru sniffed twice and tried sifting through the variety of scents broadcasting Rin's emotions: anticipation, anxiety, hope, and trust.

"Take Ah-Un."

The way Sesshomaru spoke clarified that this wasn't a point of debate. The best Rin could do was accept the offer as graciously as possible and figure out what to do with the dragon from there.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

He stood – a cold and rigid motion. _Fine, as you will. _

Rin sighed. _I'm sorry._

"What's wrong?" Jaken asked. Sesshomaru had just proffered his generosity and the brat had accepted without rebuttal, so why was there still tension charging the air? The imp stifled a sigh of his own. He could've sworn you needed subtitles where his lord and Rin were concerned.

"Get your rest," Sesshomaru instructed. Then, he focused a surge of yoki on the remains of his shoulder guard. Slowly, particles of tempered metal stretched, gathered and reworked themselves to repair the armor. Spikes gradually twisted and reformed on the bridged surface. Sesshomaru glanced back at Rin.

"You fight better with it."

.

_A/N: Thank you all for reading! Your patronage is most appreciated. And for one of my drafts as to how the Sess/Kichi meeting might go: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d2yfooi (please remove spaces before use)._


	33. Iruka

_A/N: In addition to claiming no ownership of _InuYasha_ or related characters, I also forego any rights to Disney characters and slapstick cameos. On with the show…_

**Iruka**

No one was afraid of the little imp that came into town. He would've been easy pickings and even made a good day's sport. But the twin-headed dragon he led by the reins reminded people of their better senses.

"Here, brat." Jaken passed Rin the reins. "Now stay safe. Remember what Lord Sesshomaru –"

"I _know_ what Lord Sesshomaru admonished."

Jaken nodded. "Good, then you know that you are never to remove your blade under any circumstances, carry the spare tessen, and should anything arise do not hesitate to activate the Shadow Teeth technique," he recited unnecessarily. If she weren't bored enough, Rin would have marveled at how such a small body held such capacity for breath. Jaken fixed his stare on her again. "Another piece of advice, since you're a young woman now…" Jaken somewhat stumbled and stuttered over his words, but just in case she came across the wrong element of people… "Rin, men are dogs."

She smirked. "Like Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, just like –" Jaken spluttered as he realized what he was agreeing to. "No! Don't be a smart aleck!"

"You said it, not me." Rin smiled sweetly.

Jaken waved the Nintojo as high as he could, so it just brushed under Rin's chin. "Mind yourself, pipsqueak."

The girl only grinned. Then knelt down to Jaken's level, making a genuine effort to compose herself and extrude the earnesty she felt. "You and Lord Sesshomaru are always protecting me." She proudly patted the scabbard at her side. "I can't possibly think I'll be in any immediate danger."

Big yellow eyes bouncing from his lordship's gift to the girl's face, Jaken tiny claws finally flew up in the air, exasperated. "Your life," he snorted, stomping away.

With barely-contained amusement, Rin watched the little imp continue his haughty march until it broke into a scamper to hurriedly find a way back to Lord Sesshomaru. _Forever Master Jaken._

Shaking her head with a smile, she turned back to the dragon. "Wait here for me, Ah-Un?" She stroked the left head's muzzle and its twin rumbled appreciatively. "I'm going get some things, then I'll be right back."

Both heads dipped in unsynchronized, awkward nods.

Rin giggled at the obsequy. Just as she turned for the village the water of one rice paddy bubbled. Kichiruka popped up. "Hey!"

No longer startled by his sudden appearances, Rin only glanced in the water demon's direction. "A starfish?"

"Huh?" Kichiruka blinked. Then remembered their guessing game. "Oh, uh, nope. Teehee…"

Rin continued walking to the village, calling out guesses along the way. "A manatee?"

"What the heck is that?" The sea yokai followed Rin up to her doorstep.

"Never mind. Hold on a second." She hustled inside her hut.

Kichiruka waited outside, and spotted a familiar face. "Kohaku!"

The demonslayer waved back. "Kichiruka!"

Pushing off from the post, he walked over to greet Rin's friend. "How's your arm?"

"Much better. It's healing quickly with treatment." He flexed, showing off the successful recovery. "Miyoko and I should be back on the job by next week." Then Kohaku leaned in to whisper in conspiratorial tones, "It's really too loud at my sister's house. I can't wait to go."

Kichiruka laughed.

Rin stepped back out, still adjusting one of the earrings. "A whale?"

Kichiruka paused. She was close. "…No."

Rin scowled.

Kohaku looked back and forth between the two. "I'm lost."

"Rin's trying to guess my subspecies."

The taijiya mouthed a silent "o," then smiled.

"Do you know what it is?" Rin demanded.

Kohaku grinned lopsidedly. "Now that would be cheating."

Kichiruka laughed. "Are you ready to go?" He turned to the taijiya. "We're off to Mikan Beach today."

Rin nodded. Then looked back where she had left Ah-Un. "We're taking the dragon, though."

"Does it fly?"

"Well, it would take a couple of days at least if Ah-Un just walked."

Kichiruka blanched. "I'll take you," he offered.

"Okay, what then? Teleporting?"

"Yeah, I think I can manage for the two of us."

That doesn't sound too bad, but how do I explain Ah-Un not being at the beach to Lord Sesshomaru if he drops by? Rin's brow knit.

"If you don't mind, we'll take Ah-Un." Kohaku stepped forward. "I know how to handle it and Shippo's been begging to go to the beach for some time now. It might be preferred if we go as a group, hm?"

_Kohaku, you're a lifesaver_. Rin beamed gratefully at him. "That sounds great!"

Kohaku turned and hollered over his shoulder. "Okay, everyone hear that?" No less than three children sprouted from around the corner around Rin's hut. "Rin says she wants us to go with them!"

The three oldest of Miroku's children raced off to find their parents while, in a puff of turquoise smoke, 'Kohaku' transformed back into a small kitsune boy. "Woot! Wait'll I tell Inuyasha!" He dashed off before Rin could even draw breath to yell at him.

"Did you know that was Shippo?" She fixed the remaining demon beside her with a glare.

Kichiruka stood there with a toothy grin plastered across his face. "He gets credit for a very good disguise."

By the time Rin and Kichiruka arrived at Kagome's, the priestess was already packing a woven basket with enough dried snacks of everyone. "This is good idea, Rin." Kagome smiled and looked at her husband. The hanyo rolled his eyes. "Miroku and Sango could use a break with just the two little ones."

Inuyasha groaned. Pegged for babysitter again. "Kohaku an' his chick are still coming, right? So we better count Kilala in."

"Whoo-hoo! Beach party!" Shippo pumped a fist in the air.

Kohaku – the real one, Rin verified – rotated his wrist and extended the elbow of his recovering arm. "I should get used to using it for slightly more strenuous exercise. Ah-Un's a good start."

Ruffling a hand through silver bangs, Inuyasha grumbled, "All right, Kichiruka, how do we get to this place?"

After exchanging directions and swapping suggestions, the two airborne parties took off, leaving Rin and Kichiruka to head toward the brook.

"We'll have an easier time teleporting from there. The rice paddies are kinda murky," the water demon commented.

Rin looked from the pond and back to the meadow they crossed. _Going from one body of water to another... _"What does Mikan look like?"

"You'll see when we arrive." Pulling the conch staff from its place at his side, he offered the shell over to Rin. "Wanna hear it?"

She smirked. That was an old trick. "Don't all seashells sound like the ocean?"

"This one's different," Kichiruka promised.

They stopped walking a moment and she pressed it to her ear. A satisfied smile crossed the water demon's expression as Rin's eyes widened.

"Wow," she breathed. It wasn't the hollow, shallow circulation of air, but the full crashing majesty of breaking waves. The playful turbulence sounded as real as if she stood at the shore.

Slowly pulling the shell away, Kichiruka broke the enchantment. "Let's go."

Kichiruka extended his hand. Rin felt a tingle race up her spine when she slipped hers into his. Somehow going into the brook this time with Kichiruka felt different than the first. He had a slight uncertainty that Rin found sweetly attractive. The insecurity of not knowing if she would reject or accept him, but hoping all the same. Her heart thrummed at the way his eyes sparkled like sapphire when she moved beside him in the water.

Her back against his chest, Kichiruka pulled Rin close, one arm encircling her waist and the other a little higher.

"Are you copping a feel?" she said, peeking out of one eye.

"Er…Lean back with me."

"Perv."

Kichiruka cleared his throat and put on something of an announcer's voice. "Picture ocean water, green tinged and foamy. It laps at the shore and the sand underneath is rough with small rocks dragged in by the tide this time of year. Remember the sound of the seashell? Recall that. And hang on."

Quickly, before she lost her train of thought, Kichiruka slipped a hand over Rin's mouth, pinching her nose with his thumb. Then he dunked them both backwards into the rushing brook.

Rin screamed silently, keeping her mouth shut. The deafening sensation of water already clogging her ears, she wasn't sure if she wanted to open her eyes. Suddenly, she heard Kichiruka's voice gently at her shoulder.

"Stand up."

Rin did as instructed. In a strange turn-around, Kichiruka caught her before she tripped. "Steady."

Pushing the matted bangs from her eyes, Rin looked behind them. A cold wave lapped at her waist and the undertow pulled pebbles under her sandals. "We're here!" She jumped up and threw her arms around Kichiruka's neck like he just did something incredible. He had to remember aquatic teleporting was an everyday event for him, but for Rin…

_I want to show her more._ "Do you see the others yet?"

Rin scanned the beach. "Nope."

"Time to ourselves, then." He looked Rin up and down. She was drenched, but as much as he liked the way the fabric clung, Kichiruka remarked, "We'd better dry you off."

Rin laughed, slogging out of the ocean with him. On shore, spotted hands folded over twice and the water demon whispered a syllable that sounded like ice. Then he touched the sleeves of Rin's summer yukata. Instantly it dried and straightened. After absorbing the water, Kichiruka dusted the excess salt from his hands. "There."

Using her comb, Rin managed to straighten out a snarl from her damp hair. "Can you dry this too?"

Kichiruka hesitated. "It's connected to you, so how 'bout we just leave that to the sun?"

Rin remembered what happened to the hostile demons on Obon. Of the spells that Kichiruka might make a mistake with this probably wasn't one to gamble. "Okay. Um, want to walk?"

After the water demon performed the spell on himself, they combed the shores. A quiet, companionable silence that Rin was used to stretched between them. When she found a smooth stone, Kichiruka showed her the technique for skipping across waves.

"Got three off of that!" Rin turned. "Did you see?"

"Hm?" A couple feet away, the demon looked up from the wet, tightly packed sand. With the pointed tip of the conch staff, he wrote the hiragana for Rin's name, a small smile quirking his lips. "Got distracted."

Walking over to lean on his shoulder, she looked up into the blue eyes. "How do you write yours?"

"Like this." Kichiruka drew a pair of kanji followed by three short characters.

"Kichi-iruka?" Rin enunciated.

"Yeah, but no one ever says the middle vowel." With his foot he erased the two short lines for "i." "It's more of a slur. The way you've been saying it is best."

"Your parents used to call you that?"

He nodded.

Rin looked over the kanji a moment, and smiled. "Kichi – as in clever?"

The water demon laughed. "Tensai hardly believed it himself!"

She studied the hiragana. They could've just been for euphony's sake. "And 'ruka'? Or 'iruka'?"

"Well, now, that would be telling." Kichiruka smiled.

Rin blinked.

"Hey, look! It's Kohaku!" He waved skyward and Ah-Un's rider returned the greeting.

Rin and Kichiruka met up with the rest of the group as they landed. Light quilts were unpacked, Kagome produced a basket with lunch, and Inuyasha took a headcount.

"I'm missin' a brat," he barked. "Where's the carrot-top?"

Shippo popped up on Kichiruka's shoulder. "Over here!" He stuck out his tongue. "What's the matter? Salty air messing with your nose?"

"Not funny, snot."

As everyone got settled, Rin approached Kagome. She unhooked one of the earrings and handed it to the priestess. "Kich' and I are going to wander off for a bit, but just in case anything happens you can get a hold of me through here."

Kagome smiled. "That's very responsible of you, Rin."

The young woman huffed. "Well, Lord Sesshomaru taught me not to be stupid."

"I'm sure," Kagome giggled. Then set the earring into the collar of her blouse. "Just try to be back by dark."

Rin nodded. "Will do." She turned and walked to where the water demon sat constructing…_A giant sand castle?_

Sango's first son sat in the middle of the pavilion and the surrounding towers, complete with columns and fluted rooftops, were nearly as high as the twin girls that crawled around them. Tapping his conch staff, Kichiruka added a bit more water to the constructed mote, then with a wave of his hand pulled another detailed tower straight out of the sand. All the children, Shippo included, clapped delightedly.

Kichiruka smiled over his shoulder to Rin. "Wanna join?"

Rin laughed and sat down to play with them a bit more. After a while of extending the sand city – it was hardly just a castle anymore – and burying one of the twins, Rin asked Kichiruka if he'd like to go for a stroll with her.

"Where to?"

"Forward." Rin hooked her fingers through the demon's, gently rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Okay." Kichiruka stood with her. He had no idea where they were going, but down the beach with Rin – _forward_ – sounded good.

oOo

"Oh! Kichiruka! Kichiruka!" Rin waved him over to a tidepool.

"What is it?" the demon tucked a loose lock behind his ear to get a better look at whatever the commotion was.

"A purple sea urchin!" Rin exclaimed, pointing at the spiny water creature.

Though he felt mild pity that it was wasted on such a common denizen of his realm, Kichiruka had to smile at the girl's excitement, it was like seeing the world through a fresh pair of eyes. "Why don't you pet him?" At the suggestion, he was met with a startled gaze. "They don't hurt," Kichiruka quickly assured. "And this one isn't poisonous. Look."

Rin watched as a claw gently poked a finger among the purple quills. The other tines moved forward to embrace the rest of his finger. "Wanna try?"

A little more confident, Rin knelt beside him. "Okay." She carefully touched where Kichiruka had. The quills moved in.

Rin giggled. "A sea urchin hug!"

Scooting closer, Kichiruka drew Rin into his lap. "How does a demon's embrace compare?"

She gently pecked his forehead. "Why do I get the impression you're testing me?"

"Well, you're defying every story I've ever heard about humans." Kichiruka shrugged. "…Besides all the stuff about needing to sleep and eat all the time."

"So do you!" Rin pointed out.

"Hey, I'm a living creature, too." Hands rose defensively. "Yokai, even the greater ones, need to rest to recharge themselves."

"And you just _like_ to eat?"

Kichiruka grinned. "Gotta have fun."

In the midst of their chatter, neither noticed the ocean's eerie calm. Rapidly swelling waters broke and unleashed a tidal wave that crashed upon them both. Like a god's fist, in one swift, violent motion, the riptide dragged them from the coast.

_Rin!_ Was Kichiruka's first thought, immediately followed by _Air!_ At once he spotted her, and grabbed a hold around her waist. Kichiruka sped to the surface in less than a second.

Rin spluttered and gasped. It wasn't a tsunami, but the great wave had been enough to drag them from the coast. _And we've wandered too far to be spotted by Inuyasha or anyone else._ She started to panic when Kichiruka surfaced beside her. The reassuring strength of his arm supporting her.

"Don't worry," the waterlogged yokai swore. "I'll return you safely."

"Kichiruka!" Rin shrieked, pointing behind him as a second wave thundered down. She closed her eyes and waited for the torrent to pass.

Feeling the cold rush of the open-air again, Rin peeked from her lashes. Water lapped at her hands and knees, but she was obviously floating on…something. Then she felt the dorsal fin between her hands. And the creature below her cackled, a higher octave of Kichiruka's cascading laughter.

Rin swayed, nearly losing her grip, when she realized she was astride the largest spotted dolphin she had ever seen. Its dorsal fin was easily as high as a man was tall and at least half a ri in length.

"Kichiruka?" she tried.

From the corner of its vision, a large, dark cerulean eye focused on Rin…and winked.

Rin laughed. _Of course, it's in his name! Iruka!_

Vigorously, she rubbed his sides with her free hand, the other still clinging to his fin. "So now where are we going?" Rin asked, admittedly feeling silly talking to what looked like an oversized animal. "Back to the shore?"

The dolphin clicked and chirped.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Of course…You can't speak in this form, eh?"

An offended noise squealed from under her. Then Kichiruka chirped and gurgled.

"Are you teasing me?"

He laughed. There was a heady rush of yoki as Kichiruka's true form condensed into its familiar temporary state. Slowly, so as not to lose her, he rolled on to his back and with fins that gradually became arms kept Rin balanced just under his stomach. Pupil-less eyes stared back at her.

"Um…Kichiruka? Are you all there?"

His eyes still had that unsettling glow and he blinked until the boundaries of his irises were reset and the pupils resurfaced. "Better?" He smiled.

Rin nodded. She looked him over, everything was back in order, right down to the bright blue buttons on his vest and clam shells decorating the outer shirt. "How do you get the clothes to come back?" It was a silly and odd question, but a normal conversation out in the middle of the sea felt like something she needed right now.

Kichiruka grinned. "Trade secret."

"So what's the deal with all the clicking and cackles?"

"It's the common language of the ocean, unchanged for millennia. They say that at one point all land was connected and only one ocean existed." Kichiruka shrugged. "I'm not sure how true that is, but there must be an ounce of fact since everyone still talks like that, even the foreign yokai."

Rin blinked. "Do regular sea creatures speak it too?"

He smirked. "Not dumb beasts, no. Though I've heard that the simple cousins of my kind have enough intelligence to remember some of it." Kichiruka squealed and whistled.

Rin laughed and, since she was sitting on him, the water demon felt the whole joyous motion travel through his body. He started to chuckle, then stopped. Blue eyes abruptly dilated and a blush crept up his cheeks. Rin suddenly became aware of their position, how tightly she straddled his waist, and the firmness of his arousal.

"Um…sor—"

But before the apology could leave his mouth, Rin made sure that Kichiruka's lips were sufficiently sealed. With a kiss less chaste than their first, relief washed over Kichiruka that Rin was the one controlling it. The undulating waters made it too difficult to think.

"You like tormenting me, don't you?" He gasped when she pulled away. Claws brushed gently against her cheek. Keeping his hands on her hips, Kichiruka raised Rin slightly into the air. She started to fidget. "Don't struggle."

"Okay, but what are –?" Rin never got to finish her question. The demon tossed her like a ball into the air.

Reciting as quickly as possible, Kichiruka flipped into an upright position. Eyes bleeding blue in haste, he pulled the conch staff from his side and pointed at Rin. The half-second before she connected with the ocean, a film of water enveloped her in a bubble. The clear surface bounced once off a low wave, then rolled to a stop under Kichiruka's palm.

"You all right?" The yokai traits had rearranged into their familiar, friendly expression.

Rin squirmed into a seated position. "Perfectly fine," she said in a shaky voice. After another minute, the frantic pitter-pat of her heartbeat slowed. Though it looked like there was ample room to accommodate her height, the curving sides of the bubble made it difficult to stand. She opted to sit still.

"Are you settled?"

"Well, everyone likes a warning," Rin grumbled.

"Fine, next time I'll tell you flat out I'm going to throw you sky-high and pop you into a bubble." His eyes gleamed mischievously. Then, in a more serious tone, he said, "I didn't plan on coming out here, but might as well show you around. Now we're going to dive."

"How do I work this thing?" She pressed against the wet walls of the bubble. They stretched, but didn't break.

"You don't." Kichiruka motioned with his arm to follow and, of its own volition, the bubble dove after him.

Rin yipped.

She noticed that Kichiruka didn't kick the way people did when they swam. Instead she felt brushes of yoki from the demon propel him along. And, as if by some invisible cord, her little spherical craft followed.

After a second or two more, Rin stopped trying to figure out how Kichiruka's magic worked and embraced the magnitude of exactly where they were. Underwater – it was a special world all its own, furnished with coral and filled with not just fish but bizarre creatures she'd never seen before. _And they aren't even yokai!_ Common animals with fins and flippers, sails and scales, flit by in an endless array of colors and contours. A puffer fish huffed on by, accompanied by a small rainbow of tiny fish Rin had never seen before. Anemone waved their short tentacles invitingly between rocky-edged coral. I can't believe there are so many colors! Rin had always thought the ocean began and ended in shades of blue, green, and gray. Now she couldn't believe she would never have thought to explore it otherwise.

"Wait, what's that one?" She pointed at a bright yellow guppy with blue stripes and matching fins.

Pushing with his hands, Kichiruka hurriedly steered her away. "You don't want to talk to that fish," he said. "It sings and sings the most horrid tunes and never shuts up or leaves you alone after. Nobody's sure how it got here."

As her guide led them on a detour route, Rin caught snatches of the fish's song.

_"The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake…"_

"That doesn't even make sense," Kichiruka grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"It sounds bouncy."

"You say that now."

Rin laughed and went back to enjoying the scenery. They were still close enough to the surface than sunlight filtered in, gracing everything with a shimmer. Even a few fallen warships looked more intriguing than intimidating.

Kichiruka chatted aimlessly, pointing out the odd mussel or shoal of fish here and there; he mostly liked watching Rin's simple awe. Her hands pressed to the sides of the bubble as she tried to take in everything at once. Kichiruka did his best to detour to wherever she was looking, but then Rin's head would turn in the opposite direction, absorbed in something else.

Most people, Master Tensai said, were so afraid of drowning or so unfamiliar with the sea that they forgot all about the beauty just under their passing vessels. _But Rin's different_. Kichiruka smiled as she ventured near some tiny fish and discovered a flounder laying flat on a rock's surface. She'd never match any of the terrible stories he'd heard of humans.

Suddenly, a large shadow fell over a coral that Rin inspected. She whirled around. A silhouette that could've been a whale or a shark for all she knew swam overhead. "What's that?" She pointed at the black figure.

Kichiruka squinted. Then made out hooves. "Momo!"

The bubble rolled off balance as Rin scrambled backwards. _The killer pony!_

But the kelpie was muzzled and had a rider. An inky black cape flowing from his shoulders, he looked like a tall, young man. Then Rin remembered they were deep underwater and nothing human could possibly be riding a demonic steed like that. _And certainly not over our heads._

Recognizing them – _probably Kichiruka, anyway_ – the rider nudged his mount to circle downward. Rin noticed that his cape was split and fanned out like wings. She had trouble discerning whether or not he actually held the water horse's reins. Close enough, the demon dismounted and glided up to Kichiruka.

The dolphin yokai bowed low. "Lord Ichikawa."

_So this is the noble he and Tensai are always talking about._ Rin marveled at the ocean lord. Resplendent in black and white, he stood – _floated?_ – lean and limber, his height increased by the pair of ebony horns curving from his forehead. Where Kichiruka's eyes were a soft cerulean, Ichikawa's were a shifting green and pale blue. Ocean eyes, Rin thought. Royal purple marks over the lids and similarly hued triangles high on his cheeks off set the cold color. Long, dark hair fell just over his shoulders reminding Rin of youthful princes. His robes nearly as pale as his skin, the demon's milky pallor was offset by a jet-black cape that flowed from his shoulders and fanned out past his feet. It wasn't until the mantle rippled out from his shoulders like bat wings that Rin realized he had no arms, that the odd "cape" was physically connected to him.

_A manta ray,_ she awed.

"Young Kichiruka," he addressed his subject. "You bring company this day. A human prop? Or perhaps an entree for tonight's dinner?" He smiled close-lipped, and Rin wondered how many serrated rows of teeth were hidden.

"Not at all, Lord Ichikawa," Kichiruka said respectfully, but took a protective posture beside Rin. "Though she is a human, she is…a close friend who would like to learn more about our realm."

"Indeed. And you never told me…?"

"We have an open-door policy: you say all visitors, near and far, are welcome. Species was never specified."

A one-sided smirk spasmed across the daiyokai's pale face. Rin had never been on the receiving end of Sesshomaru's perilously apathetic scrutiny he offered to strangers. The uncanny similarity to this ocean yokai set her pulse hammering. Rin's eyes never left Ichikawa as he fluttered around her little sphere. She didn't want to be surprised if there was anyone down here who knew how to break her dolphin friend's spells. But, much to the girl's relief, Ichikawa kept his hands – _or would that be wings?_ – to himself.

"Strange candy, indeed," he mumbled. "Can't say I'm surprised, though. It would figure that you had the taste for them, Kichiruka." Rin didn't care for how daiyokai spoke as if she were too stupid to understand the conversation. "Whatever you do, don't bring her to court." He smiled Rin's way. "Not everyone is as tolerant as I, little girl."

At the ripple of his yoki, Rin's hand automatically flew to the green hilt at her side. A warning pulse of the powerhouse aura stored in there reverberated out.

Two small black triangles that Rin guessed were eyebrows rose high on his forehead. But Ichikawa made no comment. His yoki did curl back upon itself. He turned back to Kichiruka. "Do you plan on keeping this girl?"

"She lives above the surface."

"Don't play dumb. It's not befitting someone under Tensai."

"It is up to Rin if she wants," the dolphin rephrased.

"Rin?" Again the ocean eyes traveled to her sword. Then traveled up back to the girl's face as if seeing her for the first time. Ichikawa's eyes gleamed brightly, as if in on some wonderful joke. "Kichiruka…I have a simple assignment for you."

"My lord?" Kichiruka's expression remained carefully blank, but he crept closer to Rin again.

"Keep her. For now to yourself, but later – after an interview, let's say – I may decide to introduce…Rin, yes?" Ocean eyes double checked with brown ones. _If this girl is who I think, then you're living up to your name, _Kichi_ruka._ Ichikawa remounted, a glowing smile still in place. "See you this evening!" he called cheerily as the kelpie carried him off.

Rin was relieved to see him go. _Why don't I feel good that I've made someone like him so damn happy?_

"I don't know." Kichiruka stared off before gathering his thoughts again. "Have you been down here before?"

"No."

Well, maybe he does have Rin confused then. "Lord Ichikawa certainly took an interest." He shrugged. "Eh, probably my fault for not asking permission to bring a human along." Affecting his general nonchalance, Kichiruka smacked the top of the bubble. "Let's go."

"Where to?"

"My…" Kichiruka hesitated at the word home. He didn't want to misuse it, especially when she floated right beside him. "Where I stay," he answered.

.

_A/N: Kichiruka's name is a slur between the words "kichi" (wit, cleverness) and "iruka" (dolphin). Linguists can hang me for not spelling it "Kichi'ruka" or "Kich'iruka" (considering that the first two syllables are kanji, the former is more appropriate than the first) or "Kichiiruka," but that would've led to a weird pause in his name and, after all, it's a slur. _


	34. Clownfish

_A/N: Because I love how Sesshomaru can say one thing and do another. _

_A/N: And animal FYI: Swordfish are one of the fastest species of fish. _

**Clownfish**

"What do you mean you can't find it?" Sesshomaru spoke in clipped tones and Jaken's tiny claws scrabbled over the map lest they be shorn off by words alone. In the pitch of night, the bright amber in the dog-demon's leer glowed like hot coals.

"I-I-I…um…" Globular eyes rolled over the map. "Oh…it's upside-down."

Striking his useless vassal with one hand and snatching up the parchment in the other, Sesshomaru studied the map himself. It wasn't that Mikan didn't ring any bells, but finding the concise location was proving a task that hacked away at the dog-demon's waning patience. It must have been a small stretch of the coast because no sooner had he flown over what he believed to be one district, Sesshomaru recognized as another. After accosting some residential yokai, he learned that they'd just overshot Mikan.

Suppressing a snarl, the daiyokai closed his eyes and sniffed. He would find this wretched beach before Rin departed to it. _Just in case…_

"Has milord's superior senses detected a trail? A clue? A – "

"Jaken. Shut _up_."

The little imp sighed. Sesshomaru wasn't the only one at his wits' end. "M'lord, _what_ are we looking for?"

Pointedly, the dog-demon held his silence. Jaken privately suspected his liege just might have a poor sense of navigation. He certainly didn't want to rule out the possibility considering how long it took them to find Naraku in the first place. Jaken half wished there was a wind-witch or dream-sorcerer to point them in the right direction this time.

Then, after a stretch that even his retainer had trouble recalling his own question, Sesshomaru spoke. "Tangerines."

"That's what we're looking for? I thought 'mikan' was the beach not the fr—"

Sesshomaru called for silence with the heel of his boot. "The coast is named after the local citrus, dolt."

From his worm's eye view, Jaken followed Sesshomaru's line of vision up to the looming trees and the last tangerines of the season that filled their branches. Fireflies illuminated the grove, their collective radiance casting soft glows on the summer's crop. It was a once-a-year sight. When the trees blossomed again it would be winter and there wouldn't be any fireflies to dance among them.

"This way."

While Rin might have appreciated it, Sesshomaru didn't give the scene longer than a second's glance, pressing on to what lay beyond the groves.

"M'lord? We're going inland." Jaken scratched his scalp. _Was Lord Sesshomaru's sense of direction that lacking?_

The comment only sped up the daiyokai's gait as he strode through the tangerine groves until at last they yielded the indicator he sought. Beyond the trees lay a cliff's sheer drop, one that – in his haste to catch up with his lord – Jaken ran straight off.

"_Waugh!_ Lord Sessho—"

A bright band of yoki curling around him, the imp was tossed back on to solid dirt in an eyeblink. Sesshomaru suppressed a sigh. His lackey always did have a stunted sense of direction.

Refocusing on the forest below the cliff, the daiyokai picked out debris of a long abandoned human settlement. Although vegetation had encroached upon the entrance and the central structure's remaining charred beams stuck out like twigs among the surrounding pine, the outline of the courtyard was still visible from the ledge where Sesshomaru stood. A chill wind that whipped up his silver mane rushed the dog-demon with scents he'd rather forget.

_So this is part of what they now call 'Mikan,' huh? _

The ruins of a centuries' old castle were all that remained of the previous ruling family. It served as a grim reminder of the careless destruction caused by human and yokai unions. This particular site had stolen from Sesshomaru his last illusion of order in this arbitrary world. Whom he once saw as righteous in will and terrific in power was brought asunder at this last little human dwelling. To coexist with mortals was to beggaring for calamities.

Over the course of two hundred years, as the land changed hands, more local residents moved away, unwilling to be associated with the history. People eventually renamed the district to what they thought was a more palatable description. Sesshomaru thought otherwise. Mikan – a bitter fruit with rotten memories.

Ironic Rin would choose to visit here tomorrow.

_Rin_.

Without raising one alarm, she – only a meager human girl – had managed to cross the border from tolerated to treasured.

_Humans are permissible if selected, _the dog-demon had safely concluded. But did he select anyone in Hell? Sesshomaru couldn't even remember picking and choosing among Inuyasha's motley pack during their last perilous battle against Naraku.

_And what of hanyo?_

Sesshomaru shook his head. These weren't the sorts of matters he meant to drudge up tonight. Pivoting on heal, he called for Jaken.

"M'lord?"

"There's nothing here."

_I could have told him as much. _Jaken remembered not to roll his eyes and groan. He liked having a spleen.

Later, once the premises were scouted, Sesshomaru collected Ah-Un and prepared to send it over as promised. If he'd done his part, if Rin's judgment was as he'd hoped, then gradually he could start trusting her.

_She'll be in good company. _

oOo

After a close run-in with a shark, Kichiruka came to the conclusion that perhaps the "scenic" route back to his place wasn't the best idea.

"Those teeth were awfully big," Rin commented dryly, after the bubble slowed to its normal pace and not some frenzied careening flight.

"It was a simple animal. I could've taken it."

"Then why did we suddenly go zooming off in the other direction?"

"It's called evasive action." Kichiruka huffed and crossed his hands into his sleeves. "Could you imagine if I went around slaughtering every threatening animal? It'd throw off the whole food chain."

"Then it seems you've just deprived some poor creature of lunch."

While the dolphin yokai kept pace with their easygoing banter, Rin noticed a capsized cruise ship came into view. Its splendor in shambles, barnacles studded the belly-up hull and starfish stuck to the deck overhead. Splintered beams peeked from the hull's fatal hole. Rin was about to ask what Kichiruka did when it rained…then remembered they were underwater.

_How weird. It's so like my world…and not. _

An overgrowth of kelp creeping out of one window kept the old ship from looking too inviting. It looked eerie, abandoned, and dark…_And kinda cool._ Rin smiled. "This is yours?"

Kichiruka smirked without looking her way. "No one else's."

They stopped at – Rin tilted her head, trying to see the structure right-side-up – the main entrance, and Kichiruka placed a hand on the bubble, steadying it. If she didn't know any better Rin would've said that the demon practically _talked_ to the sphere. When he whistled a command she felt the surrounding surface quiver in response.

"I'm telling it to stay," Kichiruka interpreted.

Rin tugged at a loose lock. _So he _is_ talking to the bubble._

Glancing between Rin and the decrepit ship, Kichiruka considered inviting his guest inside…then recalled the state he'd last left the rooms in. "Ah, wait here a moment." Zipping over the hull, he disappeared around the back of the ship. Rin heard the creak of splitting wood, followed by the sound of something breaking. _Is that a cat yowling in there?_

Everything went quiet for a second, then Kichiruka's alarmed squeal shot through the stillness, followed by his nervous stammering. Though it sounded like human speech, she couldn't make out what was being said. Rin recognized the second voice, its harsh snapping overriding her friend's pleas. Two seconds later, Kichiruka scrambled out the main entrance, sliding the door shut and pressing his back against it.

He smiled weakly. "It would seem I have unexpected company." Then the door scraped open again and a webbed claw smacked Kichiruka aside.

"Tch, quit polluting the water with your –" Bright yellow eyes narrowed and noticed their company. "How'd you get down here?"

"Master Tensai!" Rin recognized the swordfish straightaway, even though his nose was a veritable lance in comparison to the last time she saw him and the illusion of hair was replaced by a single, spiking sail. From the skirted ends of his hakama lashed a powerful tailfin. Each muscled sweep thrashing in annoyance. _At me?_ wondered Rin. _His eyes are different, too. Nothing like small, clear human ones._ But, for Rin, this was a change for the familiar. She smiled into the large yellow orbs, her grin only growing when they narrowed. It reminded her so much of Jaken!

Tensai didn't know what to make of the human in their realm. Or why she was smiling at him. Would it have been rude to order her to stop? For the first time in centuries he shifted self-consciously and found himself wishing for a guise that would be more familiar to the girl. But a human countenance was difficult for the old demon to maintain if he wanted to keep his tail. Unlike Kichiruka, Tensai relied heavily upon his caudal fin and, after forfeiting the teleportation technique to his student, needed it more than ever.

"Huh. Sorry for not looking more presentable."

Rin waved her hands. "Oh! No, my apologies for disturbing you in your home."

Tensai rolled his eyes. "Miss Rin, I'm offended. You think I'd live in this scrapheap?" He jerked his pointed chin in the direction of the capsized cruiser.

"Hey!" Kichiruka objected boisterously. Then, in delicate tones, declared, "It's my scrapheap."

A black sleeve flagged emphatically in the bubble's direction. "And why in the seven hells is she here?"

"I told Rin I would take her to visit Mikan. You were there, Master Tensai."

"I remember no such thing."

_Well, you were practically drunk so… _Kichiruka bit his tongue.

"And you're toting the poor girl around like that? A cat's carrying basket is larger," Tensai snapped. Swishing past his student, he glided over to the bubble, pressing a three-fingered hand to it. The surface gave, but it didn't break under the pressure. "Huh. Durable."

"Actually, it's semipermiable by the spellcaster." There was no hiding the pride in the young demon's voice.

"That's stupid," Tensai grumbled. "With your idiocy, you'll try to pass something through it and forget that particular property, ultimately breaking the sphere."

Rin listened to them argue about technicalities for a minute until finally Kichiruka sighed and just conceded, "Well, that's why we came here."

"Then at least make the girl more comfortable. She looks cramped in there." Scooping up a clam, Tensai passed over. "Adaptation, eighth degree. Go."

Rin glanced between the two. _A pop quiz?_ Was she the subject? Rin scooted back in the bubble a bit. "Is this going to be performed on me?" she squeaked.

"Yes," both demons answered in unison.

Somehow that knowledge didn't make Rin feel any better. "Will this hurt?"

"Nah." Holding the bivalve in one hand, Kichiruka cracked it open along the fissure. "Oo," he marveled, plucking out a pearl. "Here." He passed it through the sphere to Rin, but kept his eyes on Tensai. "See? It works."

"I was referring to larger items, fool."

Rin admired the little pearl for a second only to wish she had taken her time. Kichiruka had just popped into his mouth whatever previously inhabited the shell.

He swallowed. "Heh. Had to clean it, right?"

Kneading his brow, Tensai groaned. "I should fail you."

"Master!" Kichiruka speedily made the proper hand motions as he clicked a new spell. Blowing through the shell several holes appeared. "All done."

"Wait," Tensai grumbled, holding out his hand expectantly. "Don't want her to drown." After inspecting the shell for another minute, he handed it back to Kichiruka.

"Here ya go!" The young yokai passed it through the bubble to Rin.

"Kichiruka," she said apologetically, "I don't think this shell is big enough to—"

He rolled his eyes. "It's ensorcelled. Why doesn't anyone trust me?"

"Because unlike you we have half a brain," drawled Tensai.

Cautiously, Rin touched the clamshell to her chin. At the instant of contact, the seashell grew, then molded to all the contours around her nose and lower face. It fit with all the comfort and customization of a demonslayer's mask.

"Now take three deep breaths," Kichiruka instructed, holding up the proper number of fingers.

Rin breathed once, twice…On the third time Kichiruka popped the bubble.

Rin gave a little _eep!_ instinctively holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut.

"It's okay, Rin," Kichiruka's voice came out warm and clear over her shoulder. "By breathing into that shell all your senses will be temporarily adjusted to this environment as well as water pressure."

"For real?"

Tensai snorted. "Well, her head hasn't exploded…yet."

She glowered. _Definitely like Jaken._ "How long does it last?"

"About ten hours," Kichiruka answered. "We'll be back before then."

"Where are you going?" The muscles in Tensai's forehead drew together and Rin noticed for the first time that he didn't have eyebrows.

"I was just going to show Rin around," Kichiruka answered.

"And if you run into anyone? Have you considered what Ichikawa would think?"

"Well…heh…" Kichiruka smiled feebly.

Yellow eyes slanted. "You didn't."

Now that she was freed of the bubble, Rin tread water away from the source of mounting yoki. For someone so thin of frame, Tensai radiated his own deal of power, charging the water like an electrical current. Rattling against its scabbard in response, Rin had to place a hand over her blade's hilt to steady it.

"What. Did. He. Say?" Tensai ground out each word. "Verbatim."

"'Keep her…After an interview I may decide to introduce Rin,'" Kichiruka quoted smoothly. Although the words were correct, Rin noticed that he had carefully edited the information, leaving out anything that might elicit further concern. _And maybe my expulsion._

"In that case, he would prefer to keep her presence unnoticed for now." Tensai rubbed a hand to his jutting chin. Though he only turned in her direction, Rin could feel his gaze dropping to rest on the sword at her side. "Don't take your eyes off her."

"I know that." Kichiruka folded his arms.

"Stay in this area."

"Of course."

"That means avoiding the city."

"Master Tensai…"

"And, above all else…" He looked Rin up and down, eyes now wandering freely over her body, "don't let yourself get _distracted_."

Kichiruka quickly whirled around, catching up Rin's hand in his. "Aaall righty, Master Tensai, we'll be off now." But, before they drifted too far, he leaned over to Rin and whispered, "Besides, you can't make out with that mask on."

"I heard that, boy!" Lashing his tail, the swordfish swept off into the other direction. He had a good idea of his pupil's favorite haunts if he needed to track him down. In the meantime, Tensai had new material to mull over while this encounter was still fresh in his mind. If Ichikawa wanted to introduce this girl, Rin, then he must have seen or sensed a sort of value in her. But what? She was just a human girl.

_With an affinity for yokai. _

Tensai thought of Rin's sword. Over an infusion blade? No, base matter with a demon's power wasn't _that_ uncommon. But the strength of which yokai? Tensai had paid careful attention when he flared his aura in Rin's presence. As predicted, her infusion blade had responded, but it had a call he hadn't expected – it wasn't just a plain old reaction of one demonic influence scraping into another; that sword's was refined. Daiyokai without question. Perhaps a blood seal to keep such tremendous yoki in check. Rubbing his finger tips together he tried to remember some of the more sophisticated points, beyond the power pulsed a dogged possessiveness and barely-contained, corrosive venom.

Tensai knew of only one strain of poison-using greater demons, an old line of the canine clan was infamous for their venomous properties. But theirs was a proud family, none of them would ever deign to affiliate with humans.

_Unless the stories are true. _

Tensai felt his blood run cold. _Impossible_. When he heard the account it was a human girl-child, not more than eight years old, and even then he'd written it off as heresy, baseless gossip that might have given the ocean hope that the Lord of the West could be persuaded.

But how many years had passed since Tensai had heard that fish tale? He did the math, working in the rapid human aging process. That then-child would be Rin's age…

And they ran into Ichikawa…The opportunist would press every angle he could find.

_Damn…Kichiruka, of all the humans in the world…Lord Sesshomaru will eat you alive. _

oOo

Before she met Kichiruka Rin never knew yoki to be such a smooth, soothing substance. Sesshomaru's varied from the crackle of a thunderstorm to, on very few occasions, gentle buffets, whereas Shippo's, not unlike Jaken's, pittered along the lines of anxious mischief. Maybe it was having the ocean as a medium that did the trick, but Rin could feel Kichiruka's aura surrounding her, enveloping her like a blanket and guiding her gently along as if she were a leaf in a stream.

_It's like…water. _

They coasted along and whatever questions she had – no matter how common they must have been – he answered. Kichiruka radiated pride and pleasure at the chance to share his knowledge of his home element.

"If your teacher and Lord Ichikawa are anything to go by," Rin mused aloud, "I'd say that unsplit hakama are popular down here."

Kichiruka nodded. "A lot of us shape-twist, relying on the powerful flukes and caudle fins of our true forms to propel us through the water." Pressing his arms and legs close to his body, the water demon twisted and twirled around Rin in a liquid motion that reminded her of his true form. "But since I can teleport and now walk quite a bit, it's not really necessary for me to shape-twist."

"But it looked like Ichikawa had feet, I think…" Rin tapped a finger to her chin, trying to recall.

"He also has a steed," Kichiruka pointed out. "And wings." He fanned his hands and flapped his arms, mimicking what Rin had previously mistaken for a large cape. She laughed at the sight and Kichiruka mourned that the sweet titillation was muffled by her mask. To make up for it, he pushed the fringes of her bangs aside and pressed his lips to her forehead.

Rin warmed, feeling her toes curl. _Goodness…he's a sweetie._ But how could she present him to Sesshomaru? Rin didn't quite see the stern daiyokai clasping his claws together in celebration for a demon suitor because she "wuved" him. Certainly not if Sesshomaru went to such great lengths to groom Kohaku into a first-class slayer. _There has to be something more to it. _

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do around here exactly?" Rin fished.

"Lots." Kichiruka laughed; then noticed her expression to continue. "Well, I'm usually busy, you see."

Rin nodded. "I noticed you disappear for days at a time. And you're always on call."

His smile curled just bit and he felt enough confidence to let her in. "I'm part of court."

Brown eyes brightened. Just what she was looking for. Kichiruka might not be up to par with Lord Sesshomaru, but he must have had high status enough to be in a yokai counsel of the seas. Maybe that's why Ichikawa had such an interest in him and why he had his very own teacher – _he's probably being trained as a vizier or something!_

Noticing how much this tidbit of information impressed Rin, the demon puffed his chest out a bit more. "Yes, I am the honored court jester."

"A what?"

"Well, it's an idea Lord Ichikawa adapted from one of the yokai from the Occident – like comedians who lighten up the mood of political dinners and other events. It's taken well with our region in general. I'm just glad he spared me from wearing the motley."

Rin threw her hands up, trying to sort all the facts at once. "You're telling me your profession is being a clown?" She laughed. "No, seriously, what are you?" Then she saw the hurt in those deep blue eyes.

"I joke a lot, dear Rin," Kichiruka said, sheepishly scratching behind his neck. "But I'm not at the moment."

"Oh…" _Uh-oh…_ This wasn't the sort of _more_ Rin had expected to find. Not a diplomat, not a consultant, not even a plain go-for – _a jester_. "So…you tell jokes to earn your keep?"

"And I juggle." Kichiruka waved his hand through the water, trying to get a small sphere going. "It's more difficult underwater."

Rin's head was still reeling. "If you're only a jester, why do you have a private instructor?" _Please don't say Tensai's one too, and that all the spells you're learning are just parlor tricks._

"I'm not sure."

It wasn't a much better answer.

"Lord Ichikawa just assigned Master Tensai to me after a few weeks into my stay. Heh. He wasn't much too pleased with the arrangement himself – Tensai, I mean. Each of Ichikawa's kids studied under him, so I guess it must've felt like a demotion to get sent to a…wanderer." Kichiruka paused. For a moment his eyes dulled, but their luster returned when he started talking again. "Ichikawa says he sees an 'investment' in me, so I don't ask questions. And after the first three years, Tensai stopped complaining." He shrugged. "Jesting's my job, but it's not only thing I'm good at." A claw tapped the shell around Rin's face. "Does my unusual situation change anything?"

_Besides your chances of survival…_"Not a thing." Rin smiled and gently placed a hand on his spotted cheek. "That just explains your sense of humor."

_Now if only Lord Sesshomaru had one. _

oOo

Silencing the incessant blaring, Kichiruka picked up his conch. "Master Tensai?"

"Did you lose track of time?" the voice through the shell snapped. "Hurry up and get over here!"

"Huh? Over where?"

"A courier arrived right now as a reminder, saying that Ichikawa was expecting you and…oh, just give me your coordinates and sit still."

Kichiruka relayed something in clicks, then the shell's line went dead.

Rin looked up at him. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. I can't remember being assigned to perform and it is a bit early for any dinner parties to start."

"So is Tensai supposed to come over here or – ?"

Suddenly, an enormous pike that looked like it should have been the bow of some war vessel stabbed into the coral structure behind Kichiruka. The dolphin yokai rushed to protect Rin from any flying shrapnel, but when he looked over his shoulder to whatever demon had just come charging in he didn't seem very angry or upset. Judging by his flashing smile, Rin thought he seemed thrilled.

"Wow, you didn't have to go through all that trouble to get here so fast." After moving Rin to a safe distance, he loped over to the monstrous fish thrashing to pull its needled nose from the coral.

The great swordfish was smaller than Kichiruka's true form, but it was still the size of a large pond. Rin grinned at the clouds that swirled around his fins. Pupiless, yellow eyes leered up at her. _Don't even start,_ they warned. Tensai twisted back into his smaller, preferred state, and slipped his sore nose free of the rough coral. He gingerly touched the tip, checking for broken bones, then thrust it in Kichiruka's direction.

"I'll return the girl from here," he said authoritatively. "You had better hurry up to the city's court."

Rin paddled over. "Wait, you're returning me where?"

"To the surface." Tensai crossed his arms matter-of-factly.

"Aw, can't she stay?" Kichiruka appealed.

"No, it's far too dangerous."

"How about if I wait at Kichiruka's?"

"For cryin' out loud! You'll see each other tomorrow and go through the same confounded routine all over again," Tensai snapped.

_Maybe not,_ doubted Rin.

Kichiruka took note of her somber expression. "Yeah, but when's the next time you think Rin'll get to be out here?"

"And I do have to be back by a set time, too," she added and tapped the mask. "Why not just make the most of it?"

The sail on Tensai's head quivered. We're wasting time at this point. "Quit holding up the show then."

Kichiruka nodded dutifully. "I've got to have Rin back by dusk. I promised. And Ichikawa only needs me around but a couple of hours." Then, before his teacher could object, he swirled out of sight.

Rin glanced over at Tensai, expecting to see a vessel or three popping in his neck. Instead, he only appeared mildly annoyed, and rubbed a hand to his chin, approval in his eyes.

"Has he gotten adept at teleporting?" Rin tried to keep the subject light.

"Among other things." He turned to swim elsewhere, without waiting to see if Rin would follow. _Well, guess he figures I don't have any other options_. She tried to keep up, kicking with all her might, but the strength of the swordfish's tail gave him a speedy, superior advantage.

"Master Tensai? A little help here?"

Stifling a grumble, an arm with sails matching the one on the demon's scalp seized Rin's shoulder, tugging her along. "Humans," he muttered coupled with a disgusted sigh. "Here, just cling on." Taking the girl's hands, Tensai set one on each of his shoulders. Then resumed swimming, albeit at a speed slightly more conducive for her grip.

"I liked the clouds," she said suddenly.

"Tch, yoki overspill. It's an aesthetic nuisance." He lapsed into silence again and Rin feared that their whole trip back would be one long, boring stretch without a word exchanged. But then Tensai spoke, "Did you see his true form?"

"Yes."

"What did you think?"

"Was I supposed think anything?"

The bony shoulders under her hands rolled in a shrug. "You're an odd human. Most mortals are terrified of yokai."

"True, and most yokai are repulsed by human company," Rin countered lightly. "You're very complacent with me yourself, Master Tensai."

"Out of necessity," the old demon harrumphed. "It wouldn't do Kichiruka any good to hear objection from me or vice versa; a poor disposition would hamper my student's performance."

_Got an answer for everything, don't you?_ Rin rode quietly for bit. Though, now that she was sort of talking with perhaps the person closest to Kichiruka, she didn't much feel like letting the conversation lull. She sifted through what she could say. Each option kept coming out jumbled, then stymied by a predicted remark of Tensai's. As the silence rolled into another minute, Rin tensed. _I have to say something!_

And, finally, a small voice did pipe up – quiet and soft, like the first time, so it sounded as if it were someone else speaking in her head. It was a tone she wasn't used to using with near strangers. But the swordfish might've been the best thing to a confidant right now. "I liked seeing him as a dolphin."

Tensai frowned, but tilted his head to show she had his attention.

"He winked at me." She tittered and even to Rin it sounded girlish as hell, but she hardly cared. "And the spots made more sense. He's still very much…Kichiruka." Rin paused, reflecting on the sound of his name and associating it with the droll dolphin she'd just met. It clicked. "No matter what the situation he's always Kichiruka. It made me feel like I got a little closer to…knowing him completely."

"Knowing?" Tensai chuckled.

"Okay, fine, to _loving_ him, is that how you'd say it?" she snapped_. Geez, now I sound like you, old yokai. _

"Hmph. Love, huh? Have you told him that yourself?"

"Well, no." Rin shifted her grip on the thin shoulders. "I guess that makes him the romantic between us. Don't actions just speak louder than words anyway?"

Tensai huffed and Rin saw his gills flare accordingly. "Sometimes, no matter how foolish you might think it sounds, people need to hear such things. And, sometimes, you need to say it just to affirm it from yourself to them."

Rin noticed that Tensai wasn't swimming as swiftly as he was earlier. Only the tip of his tail swished slowly as they drifted. "Do you always tell your wife…?"

Tensai's gills flipped closed.

_Is he holding his breath?_

They fanned open again as he retorted, "Do I _look_ like the type to get married?" Shaking her off his shoulders, he swung around to face Rin. His mouth set in a grim frown on his gaunt face. Tensai tucked in his chin and puffed out his chest, daring her to contradict him. Rin waited for his scathing rebuke, but suddenly Tensai's fists unclenched and his shoulders sagged until his frame became at odds with his terse, graveled tone. "If you're so fortunate as to choose on your own, you wed for the intent of family."

Rin's memory quickly drew up the image of the pretty human woman that Tensai, then under the influence of alcohol, had briefly conjured during their first encounter. "You never wanted a family?"

"Mind your own business." Whirling around, he reached back for Rin's wrists and slung her into position again like a pack.

When Tensai's pounding yoki subsided to a low thrum, she spoke again. "I want to see Kichiruka perform."

"Out of the question." The heavy caudle fin kept swishing along. "When he's jesting the place is even more riddled with yokai."

"Oh." Rin paused. Then added, "You seem very fond of Kichiruka."

"Huh. He keeps me employed."

"So is dating advice part of your job description?"

Tensai pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since Kichiruka had started seeing this girl he'd been craving old vices. A stiff drink would've been nice right now. Shrugging her off his back once more, he turned around to face the hopeful brown eyes. "If I take you to that fool's show will you stop picking my brain for personal questions?"

Although her smile was masked by the shell, Rin's eyes twinkled her delight. "Promise."

An irritated grumble reverberated from Tensai's chest, but with the way she beamed at him, he felt as if it were one of the few things he could do right. "It is a possibility," he at last conceded. He canted his head to one side, analyzing her. "You're a small, little thing."

Rin frowned. "Problem?"

"Not in the least." The demon chuckled. "More like an advantage."

"How do we get in there without being noticed?"

Shrugging out of the black robe on his shoulders, he draped it over the girl. "Now this brings back memories." Tensai smiled, a bit of charm in his usual smirk. Rin wondered if he was ever handsome in his younger days.

Then, bright white against the darker blues of his gi and hakama, she spotted what looked like a tusk tucked into the swordfish's sash. _What's that for?_ It didn't look like much of a sword or even a dagger.

"Hold still, fidgety wench," he grumbled and bent to adjust the collar so it fell like a hood.

"Will this make me invisible?" she asked.

Tensai barked his single-syllable laugh. "No. Nothing can truly become invisible for more than a few seconds. But you can become dim."

"Dim?"

"Yes, like a forgotten doorway or even an old scroll. Something you see all the time, misplace or overlook, and never see even if it's right before your very eyes. People who don't know you won't look twice in your direction."

"But won't something of yours make me noticeable?"

"Only as an extension of myself, which is why no one will recognize it as – ah, I'm ringed by fools!" Smacking a hand over his eyes, Tensai just motioned for her to follow. Then remembered the lagging flounder she identified as swimming. Propping her over his back again, he carefully warned, "Once we get there, it'll be your responsibility to keep up."

Rin dug her fingers into his overshirt, but before she could wish for the heart-racing trip to be over, Tensai slowed.

"Here we are." Trying to keep the cloak in place, he carefully set Rin beside himself. "Get a good look of the city now, girl. It's the only one I can afford you."

Peering from under the collar, Rin blinked to make sure she was seeing right. The city had everything you'd expect to see on land, but some of the fixtures didn't make any sense. _Like why do they have bridges? And if everyone swims, why roads?_

"Stay close," Tensai repeated under his breath. Rin didn't think he would say it a third time. She tried to get another glimpse, this time of the yokai residents, but thin, knobby-jointed fingers were already at the base of her skull, bowing her head down. _Drat_. Limited to just the occasional flash of scales or fins, she tried to content herself with the colors she could pick out on the road. And realized that maybe none of this yokai city had to make sense. The streets alone shimmered like gold. Rin noticed that they were paved purely for aesthetic design. _The people here must relish their surroundings._ She also noticed when the glittering streets gave way to murky, roughly cobbled trails, then nothing urban-looking at all. Rin felt the pressure on her neck abate, but maybe it wasn't time to look up yet. She considered speaking up, but what if that blew their cover?

Then she collided head-on with a granite wall.

"Watch where you're going, girl."

Thanks for the advice. Pulling the robe close, Rin followed after Kichiruka's instructor.

He led her through a small grotto, anemones closed at their passing and slowing fanning out again. "Don't waste time staring," Tensai hissed, giving her hand a jerk. "Hang on." Tail pumping, he swept them up alongside the sheer cliff.

A bit of amethyst winked out of the corner of one rock. Tensai moved toward it and passed straight through the chiseled surface. Rin gawked at the sheer rock. _Can I do that, too?_

A webbed claw reached back out and yanked her in by the arm. "You're _supposed_ to follow."

Without any normal gravity to kill her momentum, Rin flew into the room, the robe slipping off. A strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist prevented her from careening out the open window on the opposite side.

"Clumsy," Tensai grumbled.

_He'd better not mean me._ As Rin got her bearings she took a quick look around. And didn't have much need for a second take. It was little more than an alcove, just enough for sitting, standing, and some meager furnishings that imitated benches. Impossibly, light from outside streamed in to illuminate the underwater niche.

"Where are we?"

"Consider it like a private box. We're here and the rest of the court" – he made a sweeping motion toward the window – "is down there."

Rin's head swung from Tensai to the window. "We're in a tower?"

"Ha. Nothing so conspicuous. Only three people know of this place's existence, myself included." Since they were too high up to recognized by anyone from so far below, Tensai tugged back on his robe. "Kichiruka should be out there by now."

Peeping over the stony window sill, Rin looked around for Kichiruka. It was surprisingly easy. The dolphin yokai stood smack in the certain, the long spikes of his steel-gray hair fanning out, swishing and swirling with his every dramatic gesture. _A jester_, Rin thought. Still cautious not to lean too far out, Rin tilted her head trying to listen, but all that greeted her ears were the squeaks, squeals, and clicks of Kichiruka's oceanic tongue.

"What are they saying?"

"It's mostly colloquial," Tensai said, his knuckles mooshed into one side of his face with his elbow propped on the uneven rocks of sill. "A few political gags and some lampoons you wouldn't dare say to visiting yokai." He laughed abruptly. "That was a good one."

"Hm?"

"Ah…a few are rather inappropriate for ladies."

Rin looked and saw Kichiruka tug at his waist-tie in time with the next punch line. _Oh. Eh…Awkward. _She glanced back at Tensai, but he was already reclined on one of the benches, eyes rolling leisurely over some sort of reading material.

"I've heard 'em all at this point," he droned.

_Well, I said I wanted to watch._ Returning her attention back to the scene, Rin waited to see if Kichiruka would glance her way. Caution to the wind – or waters as it was – she wondered if she could catch his eye from her perch. _Does he even know where to look for me? Much less that I'm even here._

Blue eyes strayed toward Tensai's tiny hideaway. Rin flashed her palm in a furtive wave. For a second, Kichiruka's grin widened, then he returned to his act. He couldn't see, but he hoped Rin was smiling.

Then, with a devilish grin, Kichiruka scooped up a conical seashell and centered it on his face. His wasn't so much a disguise as warping the features he already possessed into a caricature. He called for a volunteer. With biting chirps and clicks, he doled out one set of directions only to loudly refute them the next, jabbing the shell's pointed end after participant's tailfin. A full cacophony of guffaws and cackles filled the court's basin, and Kichiruka stole a second to waggle his eyebrows in Rin's direction. Obviously making an effort at a joke he hoped Rin would get.

Tensai popped an eye in the direction of the young woman's laughter. "Dare I ask, what's so funny?"

Automatically slipping a hand over her mouth – or at least where the shell mask was – Rin tried in vain to hide the smile that worked its way into her eyes.

"It's me, isn't it?"

Rin nodded. A fresh set of giggles threatening to erupt.

Tensai harrumphed, just like in Kichiruka's faultless imitation, and that was all it took to send her into more peals of laughter. Finally collecting herself, she checked the swordfish's ego. "You aren't offended?"

"He generally keeps it to a minimum. And I'm directly under Ichikawa's protection." In a careless gesture, Tensai folded his arms and slid his eyes shut.

With a shrug and a smile, Rin turned back to watch the rest of the spectacle. Between Kichiruka's exaggerated expressions and swagger, it wasn't that difficult to interpret.

Then, for the second time that day, Rin's bubble was popped.

"_Get down_." The instruction was spoken like a spear, sharply insisting Rin do as ordered. When the girl looked over her shoulder she noticed the illusion of the rock wall flickering into transparency. In the next heartbeat, Tensai's robe flung protectively over her, its owner at the forefront.

"Who goes?"

"First servant to Lady of Ichikawa," a feminine voice purred. "And two guardsmen. We heard of the human down here and will take her now."

Tensai moved to block the cave's only entrance. "And this human stray is supposed to be here because…?"

"Word runs that she came in with your student. He's out there, she's not. But here you are cozy and ensconced. Gee, wonder where she could be." Rin peeked from under the heavy fabric and spied a human-like face. _Well, human in shape._ Lurid eyes without white or pupil were set in a sharp-featured face; her dark hair pulled back in a neat braid, she looked a like a working woman. _Er, demon, nymph, something. _

"That's sorry logic," Tensai snorted.

"It's reason enough." Extending an arm, she motioned for the guardsmen to advance. "Search this room."

Rin only glimpsed Tensai's hand pass by his side. In the next second he snapped his wrist and the small tusk spiraled into a full-length staff, its ends twisting like double lances. "Enter and be cursed for nine generations," he threatened in a low, deep tone.

While the guardsmen wasted time wondering if he could even do that, Tensai expertly spun the staff in his hands, leaving broken wrists and ribs in his wake. Taking out his frustrations with every swing, he drove the intruders back from the cavern. _I should have known better! Dammit!_ He couldn't let Rin go with them, not without his input. In his two-hundred and eight years of service, Tensai could not recall Lord Ichikawa spoken of as cruel. But everyone knew of his ambitions for a terrestrial connection with only the most prominent yokai clans. If he learned of Rin even the stars above couldn't predict what he might scheme. And no one knew better than Tensai not to tempt desperate men.

He rushed the demoness next. His second mistake. Tensai gasped, the wind knocked out of him. He doubled over, dropping the staff from numbed fingers.

"Master Tensai!" Unable to sit idly by a second longer, Rin stood up from her hiding place.

_Idiot_. He wheezed for breath. Then fingers with razor-edged nails wrapped around the nape of his neck, dragging him back to the alcove.

"Relax, old man. Huh. Some teacher. This girl has better sense than you." She eyed the human girl. "But I wouldn't recommend reaching for that sword." Although she didn't much care for the look Rin threw her, the naiad grabbed both of her wrists in one long-fingered grip without comment. And turned back to the fallen swordfish. "Not very trusting are you?"

Tensai slipped a hand into his breast pocket, palming a small vile, but one of the guards staggering to his fins took notice. The finger-like extensions of one fin hooked into Tensai's collar, giving a shake rough enough to drop whatever last-ditch plan the swordfish had. Thin lips curling, the guard smiled at him face to face. "Not so fast."

Kichiruka's teacher glared back. And slashed out with the length of his sharp nose. The guard roared in pain at the fresh gash welling on his face, and slammed Tensai's back against the wall hard enough to rattle the teeth in his head.

"Don't kill him!" Rin pleaded.

She didn't know if she had been ignored or acknowledged as the second guard steadied his partner's hand, but Tensai was dropped like a dead weight to the cavern's floor.

"Geez, kid, save the drama. We couldn't if we wanted to." The demoness sounded disappointed. "It's against Lord Ichikawa's policy to kill in peacetime without his go ahead. Ironically, under penalty of death." She smirked then looked at Tensai. "Hey, swordfish, if you're still conscious know that this lass will be returned in good health."

Sails flexed then fell. It wasn't Rin returning that he was concerned about, it was a matter of her going at all. He debated gathering his strength for one more go. _But slipping into unconsciousness at this point won't achieve anything_. Tensai lay still.

"C'mon, girl. Quit dawdling; he's damn near immortal compared to a short-life like you."

Tensai half wished Rin would protest, run, hit, do _something_ to delay her capture. Instead, without a word, she went with them.

_Damn. Why? _

Just after they had gone, he heard Kichiruka's audience explode in applause. Tensai groaned, painfully pushing himself upright and falling flat again. It was his worst performance yet.

.

_A/N: Well, the academic quarter is starting for me, so updates with _Hooked_ (no use using quotation marks anymore, it's gone way past the novella limit I first intended, lol) will be posted on a weekly basis as opposed to twice a week; though I'll try to keep the chapters at their usual lengths (though this extended one broke the record). Thank you for reading, the encouragement of your reviews is always appreciated. And here's a few concept sketches I completed finally completed: __feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d2ynpb0 (please remove spaces before use)._


	35. Green Around the Gills

_A/N: Still finding the balance between updates and professors/papers/volunteering/fighting a cold/student groups/kendo…ahem, so here's the latest. _

**Green Around the Gills**

Demons, Rin noticed, had a strange way of coming to agreements.

"Like, would it have killed you to say we're just going to talk?"

"Hey, we did," snapped the demoness leading the way, the black length of her braid spinning around when she turned on Rin. "I can't fathom why Kichiruka's instructor got his tail in a knot." She pulled the mortal girl close. "Nothing special about you that I see. You look human enough." At the demoness' sudden intrusion of her personal space the sword at Rin's side pulsed in its scabbard. Immediately, the lurid red of irises spilled into the rest of the piscine yokai's eyes. She pulled back with a hiss and the two guards hurried forward just as Rin made to draw.

"_Leave her_."

All three of Rin's captors froze, plus one human girl.

"_Greetings._" The voice had said only two breaths' worth and already Rin felt lulled into a calm. It was as if the three other demons around her had disappeared and any tension that might have charged the water evaporated. There was only that voice. _Say something else_, she thought without really thinking.

A curtain of kelp swept aside and the source of the voice wound a finger through the weeds. From what Rin could see she had a woman's form, but she wasn't human, not by any stretch. Pure power shimmered along the edge of this lady's figure, radiating from every pore. Long, auburn hair the color of bright copper enshrouded her face, leaving only one sea-green eye to peek through the canopy. If the centered diamond hadn't glinted, Rin would have missed the gold chain that laced her crown. When she swam a little closer it became apparent that jewelry was the woman's only attire. Bare-breasted, she was clad simply in gold bangles and a collar of white diamonds that burned at her throat. _She's so…enchanting. _

There. As soon as Rin had the reason in her mind she gripped it like a life-preserve. Enchanting. Bewitching. _Mind-trickery._ Dumbly, her fingers sought the protection of the Shadow Teeth blade. Finding the knotted grooves of the hilt, Rin felt some of the haze cleansed from her mind like a suffocating blanket had been thrown off. _Yokai glamour? _

Calling upon the blade's protective properties, Rin noticed the woman suddenly looked a little less perfect. Though still nothing less of majestic. Three sets of fine gold chains slung low on her hips before a fish's form over took the humanlike one. Bespeckled with black and white scales on an orange tail identical to the lady's hair color, Rin couldn't have called it simply a koi's body. It was some other fish, with fine streamers and small fins that seemed to serve no other purpose than to enhance her ethereal appearance.

_A mermaid then?_ When she was younger, Kagome used to pull Rin on her lap and share some of the odd fairytales from afar. Although _gyonin_ – fish people – weren't unheard of, they were never described to be nearly as glamorous as those in Kagome's tales. And Rin never thought they could be. _Until now_. Orange strands swirled enough to reveal only a flash of jaw and no more than a single eye at a time. Eyes that matched Ichikawa's, Rin observed, noticing the slightly paler bluish-green that shone through.

"Oh my, I hope you haven't frightened her." With a careless gesture, the mermaid waved away the other yokai; coming halfway to their senses, they lurched away to grumble like they'd been roused from a dream. Then, with a lazy twirl of her wrist, beckoned for Rin.

"Come, come," she invited, her voice replacing its seductive undertow with unadorned friendliness. Rin simultaneously appreciated and resented the switch. _That means she's aware of the effects. _

Ringed fingers curled around Rin's wrist, leading her through the kelp into a new structure that as far as the girl could tell looked like an elaborate series of tunnels. She prayed she wouldn't have to find her way out alone. Touching fingertips to the ribbed surface of the shell on her face Rin tried to remember how long Kichiruka said the mask was good for.

The mermaid's head turned to glance over her shoulder. "My husband will be in soon."

"Lord Ichikawa?"

The visible eye crinkled at the corner and Rin saw the hitched edge of a smile. "Why however did you guess?"

_I'm not sure if she's being sincere or sarcastic._ Meeting the light tone with one of her one, she pleasantly said, "Lucky shot."

The lady laughed. "Oo, I like you already."

Rin didn't know if that was a good thing. But before she could dwell on it too long, she was swept through a curtain of strung-together seashells, whisked into an atrium, and her attention arrested. _And never mind the room_. Spinning round in her own space, it took Rin a full minute just to absorb the artwork that frescoed the ceiling. Who'd ever decide to put it there?

"_Like it?_" She laughed when the little mortal nearly jumped out of her skin. "Mm…I've been told, many times, that for someone from the East my husband's tastes run peculiar. But it makes me feel at home."

Rin tore her eyes away from the ceiling to look at the mermaid. "You aren't from here?" _She speaks without any discernable accent. _

Vermillion locks swished as she slowly shook her head. "I've been here for a very, very long time. It was part of a deal." She smiled. "With a charming and indulgent man." She gestured to the room, redirecting her guest's attention again.

Although she tried to keep a wary out, Rin couldn't help but marvel at the rest of chamber. Ichikawa's eye for colors and effects matched the outlay of the city. But with furnishings the likes of which she'd never seen. Tables that were insensibly high and seats in wooden frames that Rin assumed were meant to match. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion and the resulting plans were bold and fiery. Kichiruka had often said how fascinated by foreign culture his lordship was, but Rin had never anticipated his conceptions to glow such with barbaric luster.

Gesturing for Rin to have a seat in an overdone armchair, Ichikawa's wife arranged herself on an extended day-bed. Her finned tail curling about her, she reclined with her chin – or at least where Rin assumed her chin was with all the hair in the way – propped on her hand. If this were another time and place, Rin would liked to have thought they were at one of Kagome's "slumber parties" and were getting ready for some "girl talk."

"So, how does a mortal girl come to possessing an infusion blade?"

_Definitely not._ "It was a gift."

_"From whom?"_

Rin cringed at the new layer the siren's voice had coated on itself. _If I don't tell her, then she'll make me._ And there really wasn't much anywhere to run. Sitting erect, Rin formally declared, "I'm under the protection of Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Territories."

The visible eye widened. "Sesshomaru? The dog-demon?"

She nodded. The name had saved her many times in the past and perhaps name alone might be her only protection now without Kichiruka around.

The mermaid laughed, relaxed and amused. Rin wasn't sure if she liked that any better; unlike her dolphin friend she never liked being unintentionally funny.

"So _you're_ the little mortal at his heels!" she squealed, rolling on her side. "How delightful!"

The shells at the cove's entrance rattled softly and Rin already knew who'd entered.

"Dear, you're going to startle her." The arm of bracelets on the lady's arm jangled as she waved to someone over her guest's shoulder.

Rin heard Ichikawa's low laughter slither behind her. And tried not to flinch. At least his voice came out normal. "Will I? She seems accustomed to demon company." Ebony wings rippling, the manta ray yokai slipped past her and settled beside his spouse. Draping himself over the siren like a black cape, Ichikawa rested his chin over her shoulder, nuzzling the hollow of the woman's collar bone.

_Is this how he always conducts business?_

Ichikawa suppressed a grin. Though the expression was scrawled plain on the little mortal's face, the curving horns on his forehead could feel the tremor of her discomfort reverberate through the water, just this side of addled. Good. Now they could talk.

"So then, girl…Rin, no? How have you been finding these waters? I apologize that the accommodations are not all they could have been. Why didn't you tell Kichiruka to let us know you were coming?"

The civility in his tone stopped Rin short. After barely acknowledging her during their last encounter, she hadn't expected the ocean lord to be so solicitous. "What do you want from me?"

Ichikawa laughed and pulled the lady in his lap a little closer, like a child getting ready for a good bedtime story. "What in all the realms could a little mortal like you offer me? I'm not sure if you realize it, but you, child, are in midst of taking something of mine."

Rin blinked. "I haven't—"

"He's spotted, tells jokes, and likes ducks," Ichikawa's wife filled in for her.

_Kichiruka likes ducks? _"How am I stealing someone—?"

"I _own_ him." Ichikawa's tone dropped to a darkly possessive note. Then flitted back up to its softer register. "Oh, you can have him." He laughed, but the careless cacophony sent shivers up Rin's spine. "After all, who am I to stand in the way? It's not every day that a yokai – much less an ocean-based one – finds himself a human love." He considered the mermaid in his embrace with unguarded tenderness. "Or one so seemingly out of reach…But we'll need an exchange, don't you think?"

_And there's the hook_. "Exchange?"

The tiny brows over Ichikawa's eyes rose incredulously, but pale fingers smoothed over his wings. "Remember, darling," his lady sighed, "she's only human."

"Ah, yes – _human_. You always expect to get something for nothing," Ichikawa said in a sing-song voice. "Hnn…well, then to be frank, what I want is a partnership."

The revulsion must have shown on Rin's face because Ichikawa's wife suddenly snickered and clarified, "Not with you, dear. An agreement with Lord Sesshomaru." She laughed, deep and throaty – a bedroom laugh. Rin shifted. _Damn – Kichiruka's one thing, but these ocean demons practically radiate sensuality._ Looking back and forth between Ichikawa and the lady, she couldn't help wondering what kind of sex life the two had. She took in the mermaid's tail. _Is that even possible?_

"If you're that interested in an alliance then why don't you take it up with him?" Rin remembered just in time to respectfully add, "Lord Ichikawa?"

He smirked and a slender, purple triangle on his cheek quirked with it. "Because you're the one who wants Kichiruka, no?"

Rin felt a flush creep up her throat.

Her ladyship's eye scrunched up at the bottom as if she were smiling. "I told you that's where he's been all this time."

"So it is true." Ichikawa smirked. "Well, don't you want him?" The tip of one wing brushed aside auburn hair, exposing the pale stretch of the lady's neck. Ichikawa kissed her softly, but kept his eyes on Rin.

She fidgeted uncomfortably. _He's got weird intimidation tactics._ Plucking up her own stern reserve, she primly remarked, "It's not my place to make decisions on Lord Sesshomaru's behalf."

Ichikawa smiled. "He must be very proud of you."

She held her silence.

"Well, then, if there's nothing to be had of this you're free to go…Just don't expect to see our resident mock-fish again after today."

Rin's face fell. "What's that mean?"

Ichikawa shrugged. "At this point he's outlived his utility. I have no further use for him."

_I thought everyone's saying this guy isn't excessively cruel._

"I promise to make it a quick death." Ichikawa spread his wings magnanimously.

_Ah_. "That doesn't make any sense. I don't see why you'd have to kill him."

"If he isn't going to help our situation, then he'll only damage it," the lady explained in gentle even tones, the kind reserved for markedly slow children. "Someone of my lord's status can't have a court's exile giving the wrong impression to Lord Sesshomaru.…Hm, but it does seem a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but we can't have any loose ends," Ichikawa huffed matter-of-factly. "Besides I saw him first, so he's mine."

"And whose idea was it to assign him that role?"

Black horns tipped to one side. "He's still better suited to magic arts."

"See? So why don't we keep him?"

_Why do they sound like children bickering about toys in a box?_ Rin sighed. Maybe the stories were true: life, in the eyes of yokai, was just one grand, splendid game. _And they sure like winning._ Then two sets of sea-green eyes resettled on her. Rin tried thinking quickly. It sucked being under the pressure of an ocean lord. So, she said the first thing that came to mind and decided to wing it from there. "You're kinda spoiled, you know that?"

_Crap. Did that have to be the first? _

Ichikawa laughed. "And yet it is because of my privilege that I maintain this kingdom. We aren't very large, you see." Rin didn't. "Hence all the trade. But many neighboring regions" – he grumbled and Rin picked up "all the half-witted copycats" – "are starting to quibble over our long-established ties to the Occident. We need the protection of a terrestrial yokai to stay afloat. And that little bridge between our realm and the one above is you, Rin dear."

A tic jumped in Rin's jaw. _That's only cute when Kichiruka says it._ "You sure are expecting a lot to happen all at once. I might be mortal, but I'm not going to die tomorrow."

Ichikawa canted his head to one side. "Your point, short-life?"

"You can't expect me to get married to Kichiruka and think a perfectly harmonious alliance between you and the Western Territories is gonna spring out of nowhere."

"And what would you know what it takes to accomplish this?"

"Well…if he's acting as your liaison, then Kichiruka…" Damn, there was no easy way to say this.

"Then Kichiruka…?" the lady prompted.

"…Would have to meet Lord Sesshomaru first."

Rin didn't think too many people actually got to see it in their lifetime, but Ichikawa's eyes widened.

He swallowed. "I see…"

oOo

The water before Tensai sucked in on itself and his fine nose quivered at the tug of transition. Swirling out of the vortex, Kichiruka spun gracefully into the alcove, a grin strung wide across his face.

"Hey, Rin, didja get to see—Master Tensai!"

Slouched in a corner, the old demon didn't prohibit his student from making a fuss over him. For about three seconds. "Enough, fool. We have to talk."

"But…who did this?" Crouching so they were at eye level, Kichiruka dabbed at a corner of his teacher's mouth. "You're bleeding."

Tensai touched his lips and red threads trailed from his fingers to the water, the taste of copper suddenly sharp on his tongue. They'd struck him hard enough for internal bleeding. _Bastards_.

Then the swordfish came to himself and smacked away Kichiruka's hand. "Don't mind me! Think about—"

"And where's Rin?"

_Probably with Ichikawa_. Tensai sighed. "She's…fine." _If she's telling them everything I hope she will_.

"Then why the…?"

"We need to talk," Tensai repeated, stretching into his normal stance. At this point the damage was already done and the best he could do would be to prepare his protégé for the worst. "I didn't want to drag you into any of this. You'll have more than enough problems with a human l—Will you listen up and sit still?"

Kichiruka fidgeted, tugging on a long, silver bang and glancing at the cavern's exit. On another day he would have done exactly as his instructor said. But this concerned Rin and time was of the essence. Especially for humans.

"Where the hell are you going?"

Already halfway out of the cavern, Kichiruka called out, "To find Rin!"

Swearing enough to make a sailor blush, Tensai pushed himself out after the fool. And hacked until the water clouded crimson before him.

_Kichiruka, you're digging yourself a grave and I'm going to beat you to it. _

oOo

Before the stillness of Ichikawa's dismay could completely settle in the water, there was a heavy-handed thudding on the threshold to the ocean lord's quarters. "Lord Ichikawa," a guard announced, his red pincher waving into the room. "Kichiruka wishes to have your audience."

_He came for me?_ Rin's pulse leapt into her throat, but she fought to keep her expression cool. Sometimes she really wished she were Lord Sesshomaru.

Rather than Ichikawa answering the sentinel, her ladyship spoke. "Send for him."

Rin moved to get up with them, but a large, ebony wing blocked her path.

"You will wait here." Suddenly, something thin and black whipped from behind Ichikawa and tapped the back of Rin's hand. She felt a little zing, then a creeping numbness. _Paralysis?_

"Oh, don't look so afraid, dear, or your face will stay that way – truly." Gold bracelets jingled as a creamy hand patted Rin's shoulder. "We'll release you when it's appropriate."

"Kichiruka," she heard Ichikawa greet, "you made good time."

"Where's Rin?"

"I've never recalled you being this impertinent." Delicately, with the tip of his wing, Ichikawa lazily adjusted his collar. When Kichiruka held his silence, he rewarded him with further information. "She's fine. Say, did you bring company?"

Kichiruka turned and Tensai lurched into the cavern, his fists clenched to avoid clutching his side. He'd needed to come here quickly and speed took priority over mending his injuries. The ache in his abdomen had subsided, but a stray bloodstain still smeared across the white border of a square on his robe.

"My dear Tensai, what happened to you?" At least Ichikawa's wife sounded genuinely concerned.

"Civil duty," the old swordfish snorted. He folded his hands into his sleeves. The point was moot now. And there was no chance in hell he was going to admit the lady's servant had bested him. Tensai knew a few good hexes for baldness and boils, anyway. "Lord Ichikawa," he said, getting to the heart of the matter, "what use have you for some mortal filly?"

With a delighted, thin-lipped smile the ocean lord chuckled, "I like her."

Tensai sighed. He was afraid Ichikawa would say that.

Kichiruka chirruped something and, with a gentle laugh, Ichikawa replied likewise. Slowly, like undoing a series of knots, the tension diffused with one exchange to another. Even though they'd switched to their strange tongue of clicks and trills, Rin listened intently in case she could pick up on something. _I think I just heard my name._

Abruptly, Ichikawa moved aside and flourished a great fin in her direction. Kichiruka's face came into view, his eyes lighting up the moment he spotted her.

"Rin!" Dragging her away from the crowd, he caught her up in his arms and, if only for a second, Rin believed the rest of the world had melted away. Then she opened her eyes and saw the look Ichikawa and his lady exchanged behind the jester's back. _This isn't helping my side, is it?_

Still holding her close as if she would dissolve the moment they broke contact, Kichiruka peered into Rin's face. It was truly home to see those soft, earthen eyes again. "Do you know all that's going on right now?"

"Isn't that what you were just talking about?"

Kichiruka rolled his eyes. "Like social niceties ever tell anything. I just wanted to find you." He jostled her a bit. "Now, maybe you could fill me in?"

Rin chewed her lip and was glad half of her face was hidden by the shell mask. How to get to the crux of this? "Kichiruka, what do you know about the Western Lord?"

Blue eyes blinked. "The who?"

"Lord Sesshomaru? A dog—"

"Oh!" He smacked his palm into his fist. "Lord Sesshomaru! Haven't heard that name in years now! Lord Ichikawa and her ladyship have long sought to curry favor with the great daiyokai of the west, but none know where to have him." Kichiruka shrugged. "From what I've heard, the first messengers that we've sent have returned without response and the last two haven't come back at all. Rumor's going around that the next land-walker among us will approach him once more." He chuckled. "Sure hope it isn't me! Word has it he's the most intolerant of the land-prowling yokai. A territorial dog-demon through and through. Is something the matter, Rin? You look green around the gills."

Silence stretched in the space of his pause. And Kichiruka's eyes dulled as he started to connect the dots.

"Kichiruka, I've been meaning to tell you…"

Just then a black wing wrapped around Kichiruka's shoulder. Eyes flashing, Ichikawa smiled down at him. "Well done, boy."

"Erm…for?"

"For selecting the finest human on land! Don't tell me you didn't know this girl is none other than the charge of Lord Sesshomaru of the West."

Now it was Kichiruka's turn to blanch. What was worse was that he looked at Rin like he'd been slapped. "You never…never said…"

"You knew my guardian was a demon," Rin hedged.

"Well, yeah, but not…"

Eyes sliding to the corners of their sockets, Ichikawa gave the girl a drab look. "You didn't even tell him _that_ much?"

Rin shook her head.

Gray-green eyes rolled heavenward. Apparently, Kichiruka wasn't as clever as he'd hoped. _He_ _just stupidly fell in love._ This was going to take a lot of work. "Kichiruka."

The yokai in question gulped. "M'lord?" _No more surprises, please._

"You're promoted."

Kichiruka's heart stopped. "I'm wha…?"

"While we were speaking – heh, in the midst of your own little reunion here – your teacher brought up a valid point – your present status as jester won't do in addressing the Lord of the West. Congratulations" – Ichikawa's voice was a far cry from thrilled – "you've been promoted to ambassador. Though I have no idea what difference it makes if you haven't even met—"

Ichikawa's wife tugged at a black lock of his hair. "Don't discourage him now." Her eye glittered in Kichiruka's direction. "Good luck, dear." The implicit "you'll need it" hung amongst them.

"This meeting is adjourned." Ichikawa waved his wing dismissively. "Keep me posted on your progress, dolphin."

"Of course, m'lord," Kichiruka said absently. He stared at Tensai, who could only close his eyes and sigh. It was a resigned expression. _Is this what he wanted me to know?_

He looked back at Rin. "I suppose I should return you."

After Ichikawa's discourse about the underwater give-take system, she stiffened at Kichiruka's choice in words.

Bowing one last time to his lordship, he scooped Rin up in his arms and swept them out the tunnels. "Let your mind rely on mine," he instructed.

Pushing back a million cluttering questions, Rin tried to clear her mind with an idea of what Kichiruka wanted to do. She half-remembered the beach from earlier that day, before everything got complicated. How pretty and perfect everything was. _How simple_.

Suddenly, it was as if the water surrounding them a second ago had gone. For an instant there was nothingness except the feeling of Kichiruka's fabric between Rin's fingers. _Can't we stay here? _Then the force of the ocean returned full blast and Rin came spluttering to the surface. The shell mask shrunk back to its original state, cradled in her palms, and Rin encircled in her own set to protective hands.

Wading through waist-high waves, Kichiruka slogged to shore. Carefully, as if she might break, he set Rin down. He glanced at the setting sun and back at the young woman sitting in the sand, bathed in the soft russet tones of the day's end. What he wouldn't give to stay beside her. He frowned and set to work, not bothering another look toward the west.

Rin noticed the stiffness in his motions. "Kichiruka…?"

He didn't answer, drawing breath only to recite an incantation and dry her clothes.

"Hey," Rin said more assertively. "Are you upset?"

Finally, blue eyes locked with brown. "If I say yes will you tell me how _you_ feel or is that knowledge off limits, too?" The tart reply took Rin aback.

"Well, you never told me about your situation in your lord's court either," she retorted.

"Why? What's that got to do with anything?" Kichiruka's voice pitched with emotion. "Is it too low a position for the Lord of the West?" His yoki lashed out, forcing Rin to scoot back. She'd never seen Kichiruka angry before. Withdrawn, sure. At least then she knew what to expect and how to coax him out of it. With his aura thrumming like the tide itself…it was a little terrifying. "I didn't come in with the mind to be enslaved as a popinjay's diplomat – I work for the devilfish, but I sure as hell don't live for him."

"Hey! If you say that Ichikawa will kill you."

"And you care because…?" He broke the sarcastic pause and stood up, distancing himself. "I don't think my chances of survival are much improved with your guard dog there."

Resting her chin on her knees, Rin tried sifting through the flurry of emotions he was emitting. And doing her best not to confuse them with her own. "Kichiruka…?"

"What?" He turned spiked end of the conch staff over and over in his palms.

"What are you afraid of?" She looked up and tried to catch his eye. "I wouldn't let Lord Sesshomaru kill you, you know."

"He came terribly close once enough."

"He didn't know you yet." Though Rin knew Sesshomaru had little qualms about killing even with familiarity.

"The last two liaisons never _returned_." He slipped the staff through his sash. "And even if I'm left alive…" His face pinched tightly, then – as if suddenly self-aware – Kichiruka forced the taut muscles to go lax. "Is it wrong that maybe I don't want to be loved and then left behind at a spur of the moment?" He finally met Rin's eyes and she found it a gaze too painful to hold. Ashamed, she looked down first.

_I guess I do owe him that much._ But would it have killed him to try? _Maybe_. "You once said, 'love isn't something you think about.'"

"Yeah…but life is." His left ear twitched and his eyes flicked in that direction. "Your friends are coming," he said, and Rin didn't miss the distinction.

She watched his back as he walked away, waiting for the second he'd turn around and race back. To offer an apology, to demand one from her, just to come back. She watched the water yokai until the ocean swept over him, reclaiming Kichiruka like a lost love.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading. The story will continue as scheduled. Reviews are always appreciated. _


	36. The One That Got Away

_A/N: Well now, this has been a long time coming. I apologize profusely for the late post, but midterms have been hounding me for the past three weeks. As a consolation, please find additional goodies at the end of this chapter. And Happy Halloween!_

**The One that Got Away**

Slumped against one side of her hut, Rin stared uncomprehendingly at the wall, watching a brightly speckled beetle creep up the notches in the wood. She wanted to squash it. But it wasn't worth the effort to get up.

_And…Kichiruka would've liked that bug. _

Kichiruka liked everything.

_And 'like' is a pretty generic sentiment. _You could stop liking something on a whim. It didn't take much effort. You didn't have to stand up for something you liked, pursue it unendingly, strive to keep it close. Liking wasn't love. _Kichiruka likes me_.

Rin bolted upright. A faint trickle of yoki swirled into the room, rekindling her flagging spirits. But her last ember of hope snuffed out the second she placed that familiar prickle and pressure.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" she said, not bothering to raise her voice knowing he would hear her perfectly fine even outside.

The dog-demon declined to answer, instead allowing his aura to insinuate his request.

"Fine. Come in," Rin grumbled.

But Sesshomaru didn't enter, and the yoki heated to a point of discomfort. _Come out_.

Crossing her arms, Rin fought down the petulant urge to retort, "Make me." Instead, she stood slowly, feeling her knees pop like Kichiruka's used to when he was learning to walk.

Damn. Why did everything have to remind her of him?

Blinking into the warm, welcoming sunshine, Rin looked around for Sesshomaru. She spotted him leaning against the shady side of the hut that shared a dirt path alley with Rin's neighbor. It was the most removed from the public. Without moving, the daiyokai's gaze flicked in her direction. "It is nearly noon." With only the slightest inflection of his voice, Sesshomaru wrinkled the statement into an accusation.

"And so?"

Sesshomaru frowned. Rin immediately hung her head, biting down on her tongue.

"You have not ventured out for some time now." Rin had an idea of where he'd gotten the information when amber eyes shifted toward Inuyasha's and Kagome's home. "I am left to assume you must be having some interpersonal conflicts. The priestess called it 'boy trouble.'"

"I'll…get over it," Rin assured without sounding very sure of herself. _Get over it in my next lifetime_.

Sesshomaru's frown only deepened at the distress he smelled in those words. He wished Rin had told him something, clued him in sooner – but then again, he didn't know too much about such things either. Sesshomaru hated wasting time in matters he wasn't good with. But that wasn't acceptable. Not with Rin. She had been considering a potential mate without consulting him?

The daiyokai growled softly to himself. Even now he wasn't used to being comforting, but he knew that humans found solace in certainties. Stepping closer to the girl he'd given his protection, Sesshomaru gently lifted her chin and spoke solemnly. "I will kill him."

_Is that supposed to make me laugh or cry? _Even though she was on the verge of tears, Rin giggled hysterically because – just like she and Kichiruka had figured – Sesshomaru wasn't joking.

oOo

"You're kidding me." The length of Tensai's caudal fin rested over his low-rise desk and webbed claws laced over his stomach. Big, bright yellow eyes remained half closed in the picture of apathy.

"I, um, wanted to know…I mean, if you're willing to disclose…" Kichiruka wound some kelp between his fingers, making about as many knots in it as he felt in his tongue. So he just repeated his question. "What…what's your experience with humans?"

When Kichiruka opened his eyes he realized his teacher had already left the room.

_Great. It's one of the topics he doesn't cover. _

Suddenly, Tensai's head poked out of a cove from the floor Kichiruka hadn't previously noticed.

"Well? Are you coming or simply going to waste my time?" the old demon snapped. "This discussion will require more alcohol than I have in my study." He disappeared again, leaving it up to Kichiruka to follow if he wanted an answer.

Kichiruka peered into the tiny orifice, its impenetrable darkness seeming to go on. Apparently, Tensai knew a lot of these hidden caverns throughout Ichikawa's domain. _Hopefully, it's safe_. Not without some wriggling on his part, Kichiruka squirmed through the entrance. Then heard the grating of stone slabs behind him and the light to the outside world vanished.

"Calm yourself." Bright yellow eyes pierced through the darkness and Kichiruka did his best to find any bit of light that might emanate from them.

"Ow! Something stabbed me!" Kichiruka yipped.

A surprised _yerk!_ escaped from Tensai's throat. "That's my nose, you idiot!"

"Well, watch where you –"

The swordfish swore vehemently, but Kichiruka could hear the clatter of glass as he reached for something. There was a swift shattering sound, then the space around them was illuminated.

"Say, that looks like fox fire!" Kichiruka marveled.

"That's because it is." Tensai tossed aside a bit of glass, presumably from a vial that had stored the potion. Webbed fingers fanned out and the cerulean flame gathered in the center of Tensai's palm. Even underwater the fox magic kept its natural properties. "These are only one-time deals, so you better stay close if it goes out."

Kichiruka nodded and followed after his teacher, sticking close as ordered. _This place has more twists and turns than Ichikawa's palace._ Twice Tensai had to turn around to collect his student again. Finally, after what had felt like going in pointless circles, they wound about one more bend before coming to a sheer wall.

Kichiruka patted the cliff face, checking for any keystones. "It's a dead end."

Tensai shook his head. Without reply, he handed Kichiruka the flickering fox fire. Mumbling a soft incantation to himself, Tensai pressed his hands to the gills on his neck. He motioned upwards.

"To where?" Kichiruka and could just barely make out his teacher's silhouette.

Tensai opened his mouth to snarl something, but the words came out garbled and he abruptly choked on the water they typically breathed.

_Better do as he says._

They broke through the surface with the swordfish spluttering and coughing. "Idiot, just do as I say!"

Kichiruka ignored the outburst. "Wow, it's dry here? In an underwater cavern?" He marveled a moment longer, then turned to gauge Tensai's reaction. What he saw of his teacher stunned him more. "Master…?"

"What?" He frowned, then considered what Kichiruka must be seeing. "Oh…" Tensai ran a hand over the several short, black sails that now covered his head. Just because he took this shape every time he came here, he'd forgotten that his student had only seen this form once before when he'd first introduced himself to Rin.

With human proportions, Tensai's eyes were much smaller and their backgrounds were no longer bright yellow but a mortal white. His nose was still long for someone trying to pass as human, but nonetheless nearly a foot shorter than its usual length.

Unable to suppress his impulse any longer, Kichiruka reached out to his teacher's trademark feature. "Can I touch?"

With an annoyed grunt, Tensai snapped his head forward and jabbed at the questing palm. His nose still had its point. "Quit acting a fool," he chastened. "Now, get us up there to the top." He pointed to the cliff.

Complying, Kichiruka looped an arm around Tensai's waist, then with a wave of the conch staff, commanded a column of water to boost them upward. But Kichiruka overestimated the distance and they shot up much too fast, rocketing straight for the cave's ceiling.

Tensai swore, springing out of Kichiruka's grasp just in time. He landed smoothly enough. While his student slammed into the stalactite-coated ceiling, Tensai casually took a moment to dry and adjust his clothes. This more human form was smaller and the square knot of his hakama usually required tightening. When he heard Kichiruka finally staggering to his feet he made to go.

"You used a spell for breathing," Kichiruka observed, still rubbing his head. "I never have to."

"That should be obvious," Tensai harrumphed, running a finger along the still visible gills on his neck. "I'm a fish. The creature your species is based upon needs air much in the way humans and other second-rate terrestrial yokai do."

Kichiruka took offense to the "second-rate" line, but followed Tensai down the stony path that led to the cavern's end. The road concluded at an expansive atrium. In the center glowed a natural basin – florescent greens, blues, and periwinkle played in its depths bright enough to light up the entire area. It was like an animated version of the stained glass that gilt Lord Ichikawa's quarters. Turning round in place, Kichiruka tried to take in all he saw around him. Granite shelves were carved into the walls and hundreds of vials lined them row after row.

Kichiruka's attention was hauled from the sight at the sound of a heavy crate clunking on the floor and the rattle of loaded saké gourds.

"Would you believe I would've had a clear century's run of sobriety up until now?" Tensai laughed bitterly, tearing off the crate's lid. Tapping carefully on a couple of gourds, he finally selected one, then swilled quickly. Presently, he turned to the vials. Waving a gnarled hand over one set, Tensai seemed to select a capsule at random, with a lot less reverence than he'd chosen his alcohol.

"Kichiruka, do you know what this is?" Between thumb and forefinger, Tensai delicately held a small, glass vial.

The dolphin yokai canted his head. "A demonstration vial?"

"Wrong." He turned it over in his palm and the few drops of the liquid, crimson content inside it raced around the interior. "You've seen it used for demonstrations, but that's not what it _is_." Tensai pulled a second vial from his robe, this one filled with a silver concoction, and carefully poured two drops into the natural cauldron. Smoke curled, then formed a large bubble. An image formed within – a pair of hands working through a series of kata, folding fingers twice, then clapping once.

"Hey, that's the demonstration for 'drying,'" Kichiruka recognized, the motions long familiar.

Tensai nodded as he replaced the silver capsule back on the shelf. "But do you think these scenes come out of nowhere?"

"Everything comes from something," Kichiruka recited smoothly.

"Indeed." The swordfish sighed. "What you're watching is a memory."

Blue eyes bulged at the concept. "You can save a memory?"

"With enough magic and sufficient skill, yes." Tensai considered the red vial he still held. "Bits and pieces only. Fragments that are mostly subjective because…well, it's memory."

"Do all memories have different colors?"

Tensai looked up from the vial. "Hm? Colors…? Eh, no. They're colorless. I just codified mine."

Kichiruka walked up the basin, studying the mists and colors inside. The liquid from the vial was nowhere to be found. "You don't lose the memory when you do that, do you?"

Tensai laughed. "Don't be foolish. Memory starts here." He rapped a knuckle against Kichiruka's forehead. "And you can always…you can _usually_ make a replica." Gently, he swirled the first vial, eyes tracking the last of the red liquid inside. There wouldn't be enough to save after this exhibition.

"Well. Come. You asked for what I know of humans, then pay attention."

Kichiruka stepped closer and watched his teacher carelessly throw the vial into the basin. There was a loud crackle, like lightning, then crimson clouds whipped into a sphere before the storm started to clear.

For the past two hundred years in Ichikawa's service, Tensai had kept to himself. He had the ruling lord's trust and that was good enough for most to give him space. And, up until the most recent twenty years, Tensai believed he had needed little else.

_And yet here I am,_ he thought as he flung the last drops of a precious memory into the cauldron and conjured its image in a large, clear sphere, with someone whose relation to him was scarcely a tenth as long as that with Ichikawa.

Kichiruka smiled and watched attentively to see what would happen next. This was obviously very special.

A slender young man came into focus. Black hair spiked and stood on end as if they could have been rows of carefully colored fins instead. His lean jaw swept up to high cheekbones and eyes that were intense…and yellow.

"That's you?" Kichiruka laughed. "Wow! The years have not been kind to—"

A well-aimed gourd smacked the dolphin upside the head.

"I got much practice with mortal guises," Tensai said, speaking to more or less to Kichiruka and drinking in between. "My own instructor was a hermit crab who staked his habitat near humans. For those of us in the ocean, humans aren't necessarily a point of contempt since their crafts are little more than twigs in our element." Tensai watched the images shift and a young woman trotted on planked dock. "I hadn't learned to hate humans until I left the sea."

"Oh!" Kichiruka exclaimed. "Hey, she's pretty."

_No, idiot. She was beautiful_. "Did you expect less?" Tensai snorted and continued. "She was a merchant's daughter, so they had a decent living situation and her father came often to the docks for his stock and barter. Once, she accompanied him. Well, as it happened, some idiot forgot to mend the planking of the dock. It was in sorry disrepair and the humans, slovenly creatures that they are, never replaced it."

"Ah! So _you_ caught _her_!" Kichiruka laughed. "With Rin and me it was the other way around."

"Huh." Tensai didn't tear his eyes away from the sphere. He watched himself, so many, many years ago, indecorously plunk the young woman back on the dock, the hem of her kimono still wet with ocean spray. His fingers curled as if to remember the sensation. He fought down the urge to yell at the demon, rendered deaf in the mists of time, for his stupid, clumsy handling. He took a drink instead.

"Thank you, ah, kind yokai," the girl said.

"I am called Tensai," the demon in the bubble blustered.

"Geez, master," Kichiruka said. "You were rude even back then."

"Do you want to see this or not?" Tensai snapped.

Kichiruka shut up and kept watching. The image rippled and he got a sense of time lapse from the scene. The young Tensai was back at the dock, except it didn't seem nearly as happenstance as before. He sort of slipped from one side to another as if he was looking for the same girl who wandered the planks with an equally anxious air.

Kichiruka smirked at the familiar play. He suddenly ached to be at Rin's side again.

"I knew exactly for whom she was looking," Tensai continued his narration. "And I don't know by what perversity I returned."

"Your nose is so cute!" the lady squealed when she ran into the swordfish again and with another flicker of the sphere only her smiling face filled the scene.

"Maybe the perversity wasn't in you, master…"

Tensai shot Kichiruka a look.

Clamping his mouth shut, Kichiruka tilted his head and watched. He noticed that while the two figures spoke, their conversation came in only snatches – a phrase here, a joke there, and something like a jibe from Tensai's former self. _I guess it's what he remembers. _

"I hoped she would fall in love with a human gentleman – there's an oxymoron for you – but she was faithful. You would be hard pressed to find a woman truer. And I burned with jealously every time I saw a mortal man accost her too closely." Tensai's chuckle came out like broken glass. "Gods, I was a selfish brute."

Kichiruka turned to his instructor, but he just stared fixedly ahead, lost in the memory before them. _How often does he come here?_ Sapphire eyes fell on the saké crate. _Every one hundred years?_ He studied the image of his younger teacher and tried clocking an age. "You look a bit older than me."

Tensai nodded. "I was already in my third century." Tensai tilted his head and worked the abacus in his mind. "Eh…about twenty-eight by a human's count. Why do you ask?"

Kichiruka looked back at the girl. "Well, she is kinda…young-ish…"

"Do you how many of Rin's lifetimes we could fit into your present age?" he countered. "And what are you getting at?" Tensai popped an eye in Kichiruka's direction. "Plenty of girls wedded at ages younger. She was near twenty herself. I was lucky she hadn't yet married."

Blue eyes blinked. "How come?"

"Her mother was an invalid and, with only an intermediate caretaker, needed her daughter's attendance frequently." Tensai smiled a little. "And she liked me."

"You met her parents?" Blue eyes widened, clearly impressed.

"Just her mother." Tensai twiddled his thumbs and added softly, "It helped that the lady was blind."

"But what about yoki?"

"I was a graduate student by then, Kichiruka," Tensai harrumphed indignantly. "It's required one can control that much." Tensai chuckled. For a split second the yellow in his irises bled into the clear of his eyes. He cleared his throat and straightened. The alcohol was taking its effect.

Abruptly, he pulled another vial from the shelf and spared a couple of drops from its thinning supply before finally just tossing the whole thing in. For a short spell, Kichiruka watched a series of memories play out before him, vaguely aware of Tensai adding either a vial's drop or the whole thing after each memory finished. The woman smiled brightly and her eyes were soft, brown, and painfully familiar to Kichiruka. Nearly every scene was a happy one, or at least radiated it, but Tensai's student started to pay attention as instructed. And he noticed the changes from one memory to the next. They weren't around the first dock anymore; the environment varied, becoming a little less friendly with one memory to the next. In the final impression, the pair stood in the midst of a downpour, sharing a shabby lean-to – and woman still shone with her sweet, brave smile.

The sphere curled in on itself in a single wisp of mist.

"That was the last of the good ones." Tensai heaved a gusty sigh and reached for a saké gourd.

"What happened?" Kichiruka asked, searching his teacher's face.

"She sickened and died." Tensai spoke the words coldly and quickly. "It wasn't sudden. I saw her ailing and no tonic of our knowledge could help." Then, softly, he added, "From a human's perspective, we had a good run. Sixteen years…and were able to take stock of a few cherished moments just before."

"Is that why those images" – Kichiruka gestured to the basin – "weren't subjective? They weren't just _your_ memories, were they, Master Tensai?"

The swordfish smirked. "My, my, I can see why Ichikawa placed you under my tutelage." He barked a sharp laugh and conceded, "Yes, once I had learned how to keep tangible memories I asked if she would help me save a few. The happier ones kept us strong when all around us was turbulence…"

Kichiruka processed the information. "So then that first vial you threw in – that's the last time you can replay that memory in whole for yourself." His voice hitched at the disheartening realization.

"Tch!" Tensai waved his hand. "At this point I have memories of that memory."

"Then why do you sound like you missed a chance at closure?"

Normally, Tensai would've been outraged at the presumption. But either the saké or the genuine concern he hadn't heard in so long made him tip his head and sip. "We never did have any children."

"Why?"

"Kichiruka, have you ever heard of hanyo dying of natural causes?"

Tensai's student fell silent.

"It is a cruel and terrible world where yokai and human unions are concerned. Huh. Stories tell of lovers running away, but they never really describe how the couple survives, where they find shelter, or anything practical. And for hanyo…ostracization, madness brought on by yokai blood in a halfling body… I was terrified even if she didn't wholly understand it all herself. I…wouldn't allow her any such pains. I figured that at least if we had no offspring we might yet shelter a chance to escape the scrutiny of others." Tensai snorted. "A fool's strategy because in that plan I only caused he more suffering."

Kichiruka tipped his head. "I don't see how there could possibly be any harm in—"

"I denied her the right to be a woman." Clipped and sharp, Tensai nearly choked on his own words. He swallowed, then continued steadily, "It was an elixir; like most potent mixtures it had a terrible taste and was difficult to keep down. But it flushes your system and kills the effectiveness of the next round of, ah, emissions.

"And every night I lay with her felt like a deception. I never told her exactly, but what a cruel and selfish thing it is to lead a woman to believe she's barren. I wanted to protect her, possess her, pleasure her – and I failed her all three. She cried that she could never bear me a child and I never told her the truth. Couldn't confess to a crying woman!

"'It's because I love her,' I told myself. Pah! I couldn't have possibly! That's how I know I don't have a soul. Anyone who did would never have inflicted such suffering upon his spouse. Who was I sparing? Only myself, really."

Kichiruka inched closer. "Master, you can't blame yourself for wanting to protect—"

"Her last words were an apology!" Tensai's fist slammed into the stony side of the basin. "I wanted to take it all away for her. Give her everything she asked. But there comes a time when not even the sum of magic in all the worlds can work your will. When you're powerless. When you feel so…common." Tensai spat the word as if it were the most profane in his vocabulary. "We're not daiyokai, we're mediocre demons. Better than slathering oni or simple, single-shape yokai and, if you want to say it, socially more acceptable than hanyo. But we're not gods, Kichiruka."

The younger demon backed up a bit, the flaring aura of his teacher nearly at scalding proportions. "I…I think I understand." _My life with Rin wouldn't have a chance in Hell._

With a heavy nod, Tensai slouched to his side, dully watching the play of color over the basin.

Kichiruka cleared his throat, testing the sound over silence. "So…do you think I should just avoid the subject with Ichikawa?"

"Why?" Tensai chuckled. "He seems to be your best advocate."

"Yeah, but…" Kichiruka swallowed dryly. The words were difficult enough to mouth. "I'm not going back."

Tensai blinked. Then shot straight up. "Wait, did I just expose my underbelly for naught?" Tensai hooked his fingers through the clam patterned shirt and hauled the young demon to his feet. Kichiruka's pulse shot up into his mouth – it was a startling reminder that in spite of his frail, human guise, Tensai's strength was very much a demon's. And Tensai dragged Kichiruka close enough that the swordfish's nose pointed at his throat. "You. Left. Her?"

"Well…no, I mean, it wasn't her, it's m—"

"Don't you dare complete that hackneyed excuse!" Tensai gave Kichiruka a shake. "Why in the seven hells would you let her go? Do you know what sort of opportunity you have?

"I don't care if it makes Ichikawa –"

"Who's talking about that lout? I mean your opportunity with Rin! Damn, you truly are deserving of the title of Fool." Tensai pinched the bridge of his nose; frustration and alcohol was a stale mix.

"Well…There's Lord Sesshomaru…he'll kill me. And after your story…if it's going to cause Rin that much agony…"

"Boy, I'll have you quartered and drawn first if you don't go back to that girl! My point is that there's no reason for you to wind up as I. Women like that don't show up out of nowhere. Not even in a hundred, nay, three hundred years! One daiyokai should not make or mar you. Go to her NOW!"

It wasn't until after he saw Kichiruka scramble over the next ledge that Tensai re-approached the basin. Propping elbows on knobby knees, his chin rested in upturned palms. He downed another gourd. Then another. He stared dumbly at the shattered glass of his memories, half fancying he could refill them now. "I'm _so_ sorry…"

"Master?"

Tensai's head lolled over his shoulder and he had to squint to make Kichiruka stand still. "Now what?"

"I don't know the way back out," Kichiruka said with a sheepish grin.

"Well…you're going to have to wait…" the swordfish slurred.

Kichiruka sighed. "You're too plastered to remember?"

"Oh, and it can't be for the keepsake of our time together?" Tensai chuckled, coupled with a hiccup. He smiled faintly and his pupils were already lost in a sea of yellow. "...Did I ever tell you I've always wanted a boy?"

Kichiruka sighed and shook his head. But as he took up a seat beside his teacher, he found himself hoping it wasn't just the saké talking.

.

_Thank you for reading! _

_A bit of levity may be found in these links separated by semicolons (please remove spaces before use): _

_feral-instinct .deviantart. com/#/d31vwjz; feral-instinct .deviantart. com/#/d31w94r; feral-instinct .deviantart. com/#/d31wdv6_


	37. Hooked

_A/N: I know this isn't at a frequency we'd all prefer, but so far it's consistent. Thank you all for staying with the story. Your kind encouragement and patronage keep this all going. _

**Hooked**

Unfortunately for Kichiruka, hangovers often went hand-in-hand with hang-ups and the stars were already out by the time he arrived at Rin's village.

_She's probably asleep by now._ It would be better to take care of this in the morning when everything was clear and fresh and he didn't have to start off with a moody Rin woken in the dead of the night. He should go.

_No_.

Shaky, spotted hands planted themselves firmly on the bank, twisting blades of between fingers that, finally after months of practice, no longer had any discernable webbing.

_If I can't do this now, how am I supposed to stand up to her guard dog? _

But if he woke her up…Did he really want an angry Rin at this hour?

_I could always watch her sleep_.

Kichiruka nodded. Sounded like a plan to him.

He checked his surroundings once more. Then paused to notice a female figure standing near his stream. And saw straightaway she was too tall to be Rin. She looked a little familiar, though. The sea demon squinted, trying to get his night vision to work.

_Miyoko? What're you doing out here? _

She stared at the night sky wistfully, pacing up and down like she was in deep contemplation. But the motions looked more agitated than pensive to Kichiruka. Maybe he should go ask what was wrong?

_Quit procrastinating! _

Eventually, Miyoko sat down. Whatever was on her mind was settled. Kichiruka prepared to hoist himself out of the brook when a second silhouette slipped from the trees, startling the first. A man's form, it physically outclassed the girl's and, grabbing her arm, violently dragged Miyoko to her feet.

"Ayu," the man hissed. "What a surprise."

Miyoko thrashed in his grip, trying to get around the hand that stifled her screams. She knew this creep. They'd been in the same training group and he had replaced her on the first kill mission.

"Always wondered where you got to." The hand on her face tightened and chilling paralysis made Miyoko wonder if he would break her jaw with the next twist. "You know we always take care of our own." A knife flashed in the moonlight.

Kichiruka didn't waste time with a warning. He spun the conch staff once and took aim at the assassin's wrist. Miyoko glimpsed the sparkle of moisture shimmer in the air. The next moment, the male rappa staggered backward in pain.

Clutching his withered wrist to his chest, he wailed long and loud. What the hell had this little runaway done to him? He looked up and the spikes of what appeared to be a mace pressed to his throat. He followed the staff up to a set of glowing eyes. Greenish like an animal's that reflected light in the dark, the inhuman gaze impossibly glared out of a mock mortal form. Yokai.

"That would be _my prey_, short-life," the demon enunciated with cool, collected menace. "I'd prefer my dinner not be interrupted further. If you don't want to be next…_Get lost!"_ Kichiruka's voice shook the trees and rattled the would-be assassin's bones.

Feet scrabbling, the rappa dashed for the cover of the foliage, the searing pain in his wrist a sharp reminder to cross this location and its demon-claimed brook off his itinerary.

Kichiruka tracked the man's haphazard flight until he disappeared from even the keenest earshot.

He turned around to check on Miyoko. "You okay?"

She laughed a little, odd and jerky. "So long as you're not going to eat me, right?"

Kichiruka knelt to her eye level. On another day he would've flashed a wide, toothy grin and clicked his teeth near her ear. But the tremor in her voice trumped his taunt. It was said, after all, that there is always a little truth in every jest.

_So she doesn't trust me? _

Kichiruka's spikes quivered. The prejudices and fears Master Tensai had warned of were very real. _And I never did tell him about the first miko over the summer. _With the exception of Rin, Kichiruka had kept the bad run-in to himself in hopes it was simply that. He'd always minded his distance from humans – he'd never seen too many before outside of a well spun yarn. Arrogant, greedy, selfish, weak, stupid…But when he met Rin's neighbors they weren't that bad either. Sure, they had been wary of him, but the water demon accepted that he was an outsider. But, now that he thought about it, they feared him, too. Were they all the same? What about Miroku and Sango and Kagome?

He looked back toward the forest.

_And not all of them are well intentioned either. _

Clamoring up on wobbly legs, Miyoko cleared her throat. Kichiruka turned around and his eyes were still glowing. Ashamed, she had to look away. Kohaku was still helping her out in this area. It was easy to talk to yokai in domestic settings with other people, but out here, alone at night. _But would I have preferred my former "colleague"?_

"He came alone," she realized abruptly, glancing back to the forest, "which means he could've just been passing through."

"Does this mean they'll keep looking for you again?" Kichiruka grimaced. This certainly wasn't something he'd expected to deal with tonight.

"After your display, I hope they're smarter than that." Miyoko smiled in his general direction. "You're awfully sympathetic for a demon."

What was that supposed to mean? Kichiruka straightened. "With humans I never really had anything to go by until I met Rin…she said that they were dangerous when they were frightened." He looked at Miyoko. "But that cretin…he felt pleased." Kichiruka ran his hands up his arms as if he had experienced the sensation second-hand. "Are not all humans good?"

"Think of them like yokai," she suggested.

He blinked. "That man wanted to eat you?"

"No…" Miyoko scratched her head. Kohaku would be better at putting this in words a demon could understand.

"Like yokai, but with less sense?" he tried interpolating.

Miyoko scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah."

"So…speaking of less sense, what're you doing out here all by yourself in the first place?" Kichiruka chuckled uneasily. "I sure hope you weren't planning to meet that guy here."

Miyoko tried to follow Kichiruka's attempt at laughter and the rocky transition he offered. "No, no. Kohaku and I…we had a spat." She looked back at the stars. "Maybe it was fortuitous. If I had stayed in the village right now I might not have been the only one in trouble." Taking a couple of steps closer, she patted Kichiruka's shoulder. "Thank you." Surprisingly, Kichiruka's yoki didn't batter out at her and just maintained its general smoothness. He wasn't posturing like earlier and, if she drew on her memory, Miyoko could construct the usual blue of his eyes. _I wish I weren't so awkward about this._ "Forgive me. Until I met Kohaku, the only demons I really dealt with were people. I never expected to consider any yokai as friends."

Kichiruka nodded. That seemed to be the going consensus.

"And Kohaku…he gets a lot of things. Just wish he'd speak up a bit more, the idiot." Miyoko huffed, then remembered she wasn't exactly alone. "Eh, sorry for spewing"

Kichiruka laughed a little. "Well, I hope everything works out…" he offered awkwardly.

Miyoko nodded. "Just because you fight sometimes, doesn't mean you stop loving the person." She smiled. "I take it you're going to go see about Rin?"

"You say it like she's pretty upset with me." Miyoko glared at him and Kichiruka threw his hands up defensively. "Is she?"

Miyoko fought down the urge to clock him right there. Apparently being yokai wasn't a factor – men were dense no matter what their species. "Then you must have really screwed up because she's been acting like you dropped off the face of the earth! Get rolling, mister!"

Kichiruka back-pedaled in the force of her tirade. "And what would you want Kohaku to do?"

"Show up and begging for forgiveness," she advised flatly.

_Sounds one-sided_. Kichiruka smirked. "Better get going then."

She snorted, following. "Yeah, it's my turn to say sorry."

The water demon laughed and Miyoko hurried after him, back toward home.

oOo

It took a while, but once Rin managed to fall asleep she tumbled into a deep slumber. Sesshomaru had taken her out for a practice. No excuses. She sparred and the dog-demon lectured her for striking too hard. But the exercise got her blood circulating again and she felt tomorrow wouldn't be so bad. Even without dazzling blue eyes that knew how to tease out smiles.

She stirred from a dream when something prodded her side. Her eyes flew open and locked with glowing chartreuse.

Catching her breath, Rin exhaled slowly as she recognized the luminescent gaze. "What do you want?" she demanded.

From where he knelt beside her, Kichiruka blinked. "Want?"

"Oh, so it's okay for you to go off and disappear without a second thought."

"Rin, it's only been about three days…" Kichiruka scooted backwards.

"I thought you'd left, you jerk!" Rin sniffled and she tried not to let her voice quaver. She was angry, not sad or sorry or even relieved. That's how _he_ should be feeling. "You could have at least called."

Kichiruka looked at his conch staff and then at the earrings that Rin had carefully set atop the clothing chest in the corner.

"I told you I needed some time."

_"Time?"_

"Yes, time," he said patiently. "I never asked you to die for me."

With Sesshomaru's vow still echoing in her ears, Rin cringed at Kichiruka's candor. Mostly because, when you got right down to it, Sesshomaru was going to do what he wanted. _And I can't guarantee his safety._ Curling up with her chin on her knees, she looked at the demon askance. "So…what took you so long to conclude?"

With an exasperated huff, Kichiruka stared off into a corner. "I tried being smart about it. But it was proven to me that to be wise and in love exceeds the might of men and yokai." He kept quiet as his teacher's most recent lecture replayed through his memory. But when he heard Rin draw breath to speak, Kichiruka shrugged carelessly, a lazy smile working the corners of his mouth. "I decided to give up trying."

The plain honesty in his words melted whatever reservations Rin had left. She smiled. Then smirked and joined his joking. "A regular fool, then?"

"I have to be if I think I stand a chance with Lord Sesshomaru as an in-law."

Rin snickered. "Y'know, Inuyasha's his half-brother and so far nothing bad has befallen Kagome."

"Oh yeah, real vote of confidence that I'll need a miko's power to survive." Still seated with his legs crossed, Kichiruka folded his arms and rocked backward, staring at the planked ceiling. "So…Lord Sesshomaru's brother is –"

"Half-brother," Rin distinguished. "They're both still pretty touchy about it."

Kichiruka winced. _Great, so even if I'm friends with Inuyasha it doesn't buy me any points._ Hell, it could get him pegged a notch or three lower in the Western Lord's book. This was doing nothing for his nerves. Tugging on a silver bang, Kichiruka tried analyzing the situation from a different perspective. "Lord Sesshomaru's half-brother is hanyo, and _he's_ married to a human. And then there's you…" He laughed. "In that case, a demon like me will be welcomed with open arms if Lord Sesshomaru's standards are dropping."

Rin elbowed him in the ribs sharp enough that Kichiruka tipped over. "Not funny," she growled. _But maybe he's got a point. _What were the chances Lord Sesshomaru would permit a demon? It would be one less human to have to claim affiliation. And having Kichiruka around was as good as having constant protection.

_Oh heck, I just want him around._ Summer had slipped away and Rin would have to wait until spring again if she wanted to travel in safe, sane conditions. But the prospect of waiting out winter in the little village she'd known all these years wasn't so bad if a certain water demon kept her company. The prospect of having Kichiruka around anywhere set Rin's spirits to soaring. She glanced his way as he still sat there, head tilted to one side and more or less playing out scenarios. If his calculated joking was anything to go by, Rin wanted to think he was serious.

She sighed inwardly. _Now that just doesn't make any sense_. But a piece of her hoped and wondered: _Would he really want to come with me?_

"Kich'?"

"Hm?"

"I decided I don't want to be alone when I do it."

In the dark, fluorescent eyes glinted mischievously. "Yeah, it's usually more fun with two people."

"Kichiruka." Rin gave him a look. "I meant, when I start traveling, for myself and my own experience. wherever I go and the whatever I see…I want to share it with you."

The water demon chortled softly, wuffling her ear with his lips. "You'll tire of me."

"I won't live that long." Rin laughed when she said it.

"Then me neither," Kichiruka decided.

His surety set Rin at ill ease, but she let it go. "I thought your hang-up was getting killed?"

"It's not a big deal if I get to choose when."

Rin smirked. "For a demon that sounds like such a human thing to say."

Kichiruka shrugged. "A commonality."

The smile on Rin's upturned face was too much to resist. He offered one kiss, gentle and apologetic. And it was the second that assured him he'd been forgiven. Rin worked his mouth open and she rose like the tide to meet him. For Kichiruka it was easy to get lost in it all – darting, testing, teasing. He gently drew back before he got swept up in the undertow.

_My life to possibly spend a lifetime with her…sounds fair. Just please make it true. _Kichiruka wasn't sure if he could endure having any more precious people lost to him.

The crescent moon shining through an open window hung high in the midnight sky. He pulled Rin's blanket closer to her, tucking in the loose ends at her sides. "It's still a while before morning."

Rin felt her face flush. Her eyes followed Kichiruka's hands as he undid the string that tied the buttons on his vest together. But he stopped there.

Folding his garments, Kichiruka then flopped on his back against the floor. Rin was still sitting up. Had he overstepped some boundary in the make-up ritual? _Best to ask._ "Is it all right if I stick around?"

Rin stared at him, a little dazed. How could he just kiss her like that and simply want to sleepover? "Um…yeah…"

"Thanks." He undid the topknot and shook out the long, dark silver hair that usually fanned out behind him like a tailfin. The three sharp spikes atop his head held their place while the rest pooled out beside him. In the moonlight Kichiruka's hair shone like steel.

He noticed the way Rin was gawking. "You can touch if you want," he offered, completely understanding the need for tactile comprehension.

She snorted, quickly stuffing her hands into the sleeves of her sleepwear. "Why? You plan to just tease me for the rest of the night?"

Kichiruka tipped his head to one side. "I'm sorry?" Did he somehow manage to screw up again?

Rin shook her head. _C'mon, he can't be that stupid._ Kichiruka's naïveté was endearing and irritating all at once. "Never mind then."

Sharp yokai eyes didn't miss how Rin unconsciously licked her lips.

_Oh_.

With an impish grin, Kichiruka sat up half-ways, propping himself up on his elbows as if he were striking a pose. Rin's suspicions were confirmed when in lower tones he drawled, "Are you asking for another sample of all the wicked, lovely things I want to do with you?"

_Damn, I didn't know he could talk like that_. Rin flinched and hoped Kichiruka couldn't see her blush. Gathering her own composure, Rin managed to smoothly return, "Sounds like you've been hanging out with Lord Ichikawa lately."

Glow-in-the-dark green eyes rolled theatrically. "Please. I'm behaving." Kichiruka's voice returned to its lighter pitch. "I think Lord Sesshomaru would prefer it if I met him with a relatively clear conscience, don't you?"

Rin giggled. Clown or courtier, Kichiruka was still a gentleman. Rin burrowed deeper under the blankets. "So…you'll stay?"

He stretched on his side, still smiling. His hands sprawled out toward Rin and, if he reached out, he could fluff Rin's bangs with the tips of his fingers. With a shudder and a smile, her reaction sent a reciprocating shiver up his spine.

"Stay, huh? I'll follow." And because he meant every word with barely contained delight, Kichiruka laughed. "You see, Rin dear, it's pretty simple." Catching the moonlight, his eyes glinted their true blue. "I'm hooked."

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are appreciated. _


	38. A Crab Is No Fish

_A/N: I like Jaken…he's travel-sized. _

**A Crab is No Fish **

Like an apparition Sesshomaru slipped through the brush without disturbing a single leaf. Jaken was another story. On his short legs, the little yokai had to take no less than three hasty shuffles to keep up with his master's easy strides. Jaken bumbled along quickly and as usual with little thought to the destination beyond where Sesshomaru walked. So it was reasonable that he didn't see the cadaver lying smack in the middle of his path.

"Eeeek!" The Staff of Skulls nearly snapped in the fierce grip of tiny claws. Staring back at near perfect eye level with Jaken was a dead man's vacant gaze, the rest of his features sun-withered. A pair of flies flitted on his broken and slack jaw. Jaken winced.

With barely contained vexation, Sesshomaru turned to see what had riled his retainer. Retracing his path, the daiyokai noted the carcass he had sidestepped a moment ago. _Truly, Jaken?_ "There are hundreds of these every day." Sesshomaru's nose wrinkled. "Just an expired human."

"Yes, yes, of course," Jaken agreed nervously. It had simply taken him off guard. There were plenty of dead bodies to be found in their day and age. One singular corpse shouldn't have been so frightening. "Shall we go?"

The dog-demon didn't budge. Jaken had deterred them, but Sesshomaru would say when they could leave. His attention had been called and now it wouldn't be squandered.

He studied the stiff body. As someone who let destruction fall regularly from his own hand, Sesshomaru had seen death countless times at many stages. Screaming, frightened, messy, and frozen were the manifestations with which he was most familiar.

Idly, he wondered how many days could have elapsed since the man's death. Rigor had already set in Sesshomaru observed as he nudged a stiff arm with the toe of his boot. The fingers of one hand maintained their desperate, claw-like positions. But there didn't appear to be any maggots about yet or chunks of scavenged flesh missing. _Maybe a day's passage at most?_ Not that he was planning on using the Tenseiga on this unfortunate human, but he was curious. Since he started exercising his inheritance Sesshomaru had learned that only so much time could pass before a soul was escorted to the next world. Nuisance enough Tenseiga was a one-time deal and the daiyokai hadn't wished to have any more surprises sprung on him.

Last year, when the old priestess had died, he learned that there are exceptional cases when no matter how quickly the Heaven Fang was drawn that a soul couldn't be rebound to the body. If a soul had no attachments to this world the person was as good as dead. Although Rin had been the one to cry it was Sesshomaru now who lamented the crone's passing – mostly because she could discuss all those emotional dimensions with Rin.

At Jaken's anxious squirming below him, Sesshomaru returned to the present. This corpse was mangled. Its neck bent at an impossible angle and straight limbs snapped inward in odd places. He was beaten to death.

Sesshomaru studied the patterns on the man's clothes. The fringes and cuffs of his heavy overcoat were decorated with a continuous maze of concentric squares and rectangles. His feet were dressed in bearskin – "unclean" material. The man had a beard nearly as shaggy – not a frequent trait among most humans here. The broken bits of the shattered prayer stick that scattered at his side weren't of any that Sesshomaru recognized as a common faith. He'd heard the word for the amulets once – ikupasuy.

_A "barbarian of the North"_ – _that's what they would call this specimen._ What business would such a man have this far south? Ainu populations had been pushed back to the northern most regions of the island and some were even fleeing as far off as Hokkaido now.

"A crab is no fish and an Ainu no man," Sesshomaru recalled the proverb. He snorted.

Mortals – in frustration with their lot in the true order of yokai, hanyo, and humans – tried inventing their own caste systems. There really wasn't much difference from one mortal to the next. Unlike demons, all humans were created with the same qualities. _It's just their own inanity that draws the lines._

He looked at the corpse once more. According to the humans of this region, a man like this wasn't welcome, not even tolerated to the point of his own death.

The daiyokai drew his Tenseiga. Once in a while, Sesshomaru liked to smite convention.

oOo

For the count of three heart-hammering seconds, the man gaped at the tall daiyokai. The glowing blade didn't even register. Then he screamed, wordless and dumb. Scrabbling backward, he fell twice before finding his footing and fleeing. He could wonder later how his wounds had disappeared or how all the bones had mended.

"Ingrate," Jaken spat.

Sesshomaru sheathed his blade. _Humans_.

Ironic, really. Even those who had been taught to grow alongside nature were terrified. "Let's go." Sesshomaru started walking without checking to see if Jaken would follow. There was no deterrent this time.

To Sesshomaru's private annoyance, the Ainu's reaction replayed itself in his mind. That terror etched in the man's face knew one word: Demon. Demon and human, prey and predator. The man understood the true caste. _So what have I to mull over?_ Sesshomaru was no stranger to it; that was simply the way things were. No different than the change of seasons now – an eternal and immobile order. Much like how the trees were beginning to tinge a bright yellow around their leaves and pines were starting to shed their cones. Sesshomaru suppressed the urge to pick one up and toss it. There was no Rin to catch it.

He made a mental note. In a few days more he was due to check on his human charge.

.

_A/N: This chapter owes its title to Russian proverb I found in a book, _Insulting Quotations_. The original dictum runs, "A crab is no fish and a Greek is no man." The prejudice is quite plain in that line and was adapted to suit the chapter. If you're at all interested in Japanese history the background of the indigenous Ainu residents is certainly a topic to study._

_This chapter's short and I would've had it posted sooner were not for the lack of Net service at my home. I hope all the readers in the U.S. had happy Thanksgivings. _:)

_There was a mistake found in "Hooked," this page is one of three posted pages: _feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d33qkvo (please remove spaces first)


	39. Fish Shtick

_A/N: Done. With. Finals! Ah, needed a weekend to recover, so thank you for your patience with this fortnight's delay…And now for some much needed humor. _

**Fish Shtick **

Twisting out of the whirlpool from teleportation, Kichiruka spun into a corner of his home. And wound up headfirst in a pile of junk – spy glasses, jewelry boxes, and other clutter galore. _I swear I've been meaning to clear this up._ He pushed a wooden crate off his head, completely missing the sea urchin nestled in his bangs. A map drifted down, clinging to his face. Kichiruka rubbed the material between his fingers. The preservation spell was wearing off on this one. He'd have to remember to have the map re-ensorcelled soon. Maybe he should do it now before he forgot.

_I don't have time to get sidetracked! _

With a single push, he propelled himself through the water and across the ship's central hall. He was here for one purpose, to be in and get the hell out before Ichikawa or Tensai or someone else tracked him down and dragged him off to obligation-this or responsibility-that.

If as an ambassador under the local ocean lord Kichiruka had hoped to be relieved of his regular duties within the court he was sorely disappointed when Ichikawa requested – _freakin' decreed_ – that he remain active. _Back-breaking gambols and all._ Now the dolphin yokai would not only have to be on call until a replacement was found, he was further obliged to participate in the screening process. _How does Ichikawa expect me to "fraternize" with Sesshomaru's charge if I'm going on an even more demanding schedule than before? _

And if Kichiruka had hoped for any sympathy from his teacher – _well, to hell with that._ Tensai just seemed all the stricter for it. He hauled off Kichiruka at every opportunity to drill in new material and reassess him on old, cornering him the second he was released from Ichikawa, and even tracking him at odd hours of the night. _"You're a demon, since when do you need to sleep?"_ And if he wasn't fast enough, the training just got worse. Some days, Kichiruka was simply too exhausted to make a run for the surface. He could count on one hand how often he had seen Rin the past few weeks. Kichiruka started to worry that if his visits became any more scarce around Rin that she might worry he'd backed out.

_So it's high time I brought her something. _

The weather was cooling down just enough that Kichiruka knew his gift would be perfectly appropriate. Now if only he could remember where he left it. He scanned the stacks of chests and cases of every shape and form, some of them not even from the cruiser's original cargo but trunks of oddball material that Ichikawa had long ago discarded or deemed acceptable to give away to his court jester. Among them, however, was one in which Kichiruka stashed the best of his finds. And he was sure it held exactly what would be perfect for Rin. He spotted the busted padlock…The trunk _would_ be wedged at the bottom of everything else.

Hooking a finger through the front latch, Kichiruka gave one sure tug. The trunk didn't give an inch. He tried again. Not even a scoot. Kichiruka grunted and heaved. This was sad. Here he was, an adult yokai, and unable to move a single article of human luggage. Tugging and pulling with all his might, it finally budged. _Now if I can just get it out…_

A heavy-handed knock pounded on the wall outside. "Kichiruka! Open up!"

"Now? Can't this wait? It's kind of a bad time."

"Bad time? Dammit, what about my time?"

Kichiruka grumbled. "Just a minute, Master Tensai!" he called back. "Ngh, almost there!" The chest's handle broke off. Kichiruka swore.

"Just what the hell are you doing in there?"

"Ugh! Come on!" The trunk came loose. "Yes!" He sighed happily. "Finally!"

Tensai drummed his fingers against his skull. "Boy, don't you know you can go _blind_ doing that? Govern some restraint!"

Kichiruka slid open the derelict's central door. "Huh? What do you think I'm doing, master?"

Yellow eyes looked the young demon up and down. He was dishelved but not decadently so. Tensai folded his arms and looked off. "Nothing."

Kichiruka blinked innocently. He honestly had no idea what his teacher was talking about. "Uh…I was trying to get to a heavy chest buried under all the other stuff."

"Tch, how many times now have I told you to clean up this joint?" He shook his head. "Anyway, come to my study. I'll need to brief you on—"

"Sorry, master," Kichiruka bowed his head, holding one hand vertically, "but I have to go see Rin today."

"Get your priorities straight." Tensai's nose lanced under Kichiruka's chin. "What you have to do is –"

_I promised her._ "Forgive me, please."

And, before his teacher could further detain him, Kichiruka disappeared in a single swirl.

oOo

Sitting on the porch of Inuyasha's house, Rin fingered the fabric of the powder-blue scarf Kichiruka presented. Just about three shades lighter than the water demon's eyes the it complimented the floral pattern on her own kimono. "Wow, and this is really soft!" The scarf was light, but it didn't feel anything like silk. It felt slick to the touch and shimmered down its length. "What sort of material is it?"

"The highest quality. It's woven from the vomit of sea cucumbers," Kichiruka cheerily supplied.

_Why do I ask?_ Rin smiled and, pretending she hadn't heard him quite right, draped the scarf over her shoulders. "Hey, Inuyasha, come have a look."

Dropping from the rooftop, the hanyo shuffled on over. Kichiruka had arrived while he was still up there and Inuyasha hadn't moved from his perch in hopes of giving the couple a little space. All right, and admittedly, he hadn't left either because Rin was something like family and he couldn't just leave her alone with some weird demon and all that. Though a piece of him wanted to. If he could say so without sounding like a pervert, Inuyasha really wished he could tell Rin to cool it a little. Inuyasha's nose was starting to give him a headache.

"Eh, looks okay."

She tossed one end over her shoulder. "I think it's tasteful."

"Huh." Inuyasha looked at the way the water demon grinned from Rin's appraisal. If the guy had a tail it'd be wagging furiously. _The guy's a goner._

"I think Sesshomaru would like the color," Rin said, tugging on one end.

"You gonna tell him where you got it?"

"Why not?"

"Wait just a minute," Inuyasha blustered. "You're actually gonna tell Sesshomaru you're interested in this guy?"

Kichiruka winced.

"What other choice do I have?"

"Run away and don't look back." Inuyasha folded his arms. "Sesshomaru ain't gonna let you around just any joker, y'know."

"Oh, rest assured I'm not just any run-of-the-mill jester, I'm the court fool," Kichiruka chimed in. "Something wrong?"

Inuyasha flattened his ears. "Oh shit."

"Well, I'm an ambassador officially recognized under Lord Ichikawa now," Kichiruka said, trying to recover.

"He doesn't like envoys much better neither."

Rin's heart went out to demon's stricken expression. "Quit scaring him."

"Just giving it to him straight, kid." Inuyasha folded his arms into his sleeves. Damn, he knew this was gonna happen, but he'd hoped that the two would've broken it off before it got this far. Hadn't he told Kagome and the others not to encourage this crap?

"What's up, Inuyasha?" Kohaku approached the front of half-demon's home slowly, his slayer's sense leading him to the source of rising yoki.

Rin explained and Kichiruka concluded with, "So you think I got a chance in hell?"

Kohaku chuckled softly. "Y'know, Miyoko tried killing Sesshomaru when she first met him."

Kichiruka's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Really? And he still approves of your match?"

"Well…He's become more accepting." Kohaku discreetly left out whom he was supposed to have married. "That is…okay, it took him a little while…I mean, he is Sesshomaru, he doesn't really like anything on first sight." Kichiruka blinked and Kohaku wasn't sure if he'd ever seen a more pained expression. Wait, where was he going with this?

"I think what Kohaku is trying to say," Kagome intervened, stepping out from around the porch, "is that Lord Sesshomaru is not without persuasion."

Inuyasha stared at Kagome. "How the hell do you come out of nowhere during these discussions?"

"Women's intuition," she giggled, and then winked at the kitsune on her shoulder. Shippo smirked.

"Huh. Little pitchers have big ears."

"And you have dog ones!" Shippo retorted.

"Why you –"

"So how did Sesshomaru come around to being complacent with your choice?" Kichiruka asked, setting the conversation back on track.

"He saw that we were suited for each other and determined that the match was fine."

Shippo cocked his head. "But weren't you supposed to get hitched to Rin, Kohaku?"

About four sets of eyes glared at the fox-demon and he clung to the refuge of Kagome's shoulder. Kichiruka blanched. He turned flat, dull eyes to the girl he hoped to at least court.

"I've heard that keeping a relationship honest is one of the best policies." Rin smiled weakly.

"Right, and it helps me to know that I'm only another obstacle in the way to your betrothed how?"

"Don't think of it like that," Kohaku laughed uneasily. "More like it's something that's already been sorted out and scrapped."

"Lord Sesshomaru approves of the match because Miyoko is fit and of like quality. To him, that's what makes a suitable partner." Rin smiled at the taijiya and nodded affirmatively. Returning her smile, Kohaku felt a warm relief wash over him. He certainly hoped Sesshomaru could offer the same approval for Rin.

Inuyasha sighed and ruffled a hand through his thick bangs. "Yeah, that is a good point," he conceded. How the hell did he wind up advocating this junk? "Sesshomaru's an uptight prick, but he respects power and skill."

Kichiruka tilted his head toward this information. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Tensai was working him like a dog. "So a show of strength?" Kichiruka rolled the conch staff between his palms. Without it…he was still just an average demon.

"But I think we should warm him up to the idea of having a yokai in-law first," Kohaku pointed out.

"He likes me," Kagome volunteered.

"He tolerates you," Inuyasha corrected. "And remember he still hates me."

Kagome frowned. "I thought you two had an understanding…"

Kichiruka's conch staff issued its low tooting. Someone – _probably Tensai _– was calling. "Excuse me."

Rin watched him get up, then quickly trailed after.

Kichiruka answered when he was some distance away from the group. Rin hovered nearby. "Hello?"

"_So any progress?"_ At the silky voice trailing out Kichiruka nearly dropped the staff.

Hoping no one on the other end would hear, Rin leaned in to whisper in Kichiruka's ear, "I'll take it that's Lord Ichikawa's lady speaking?"

Kichiruka pulled a face before replying, "Progress?"

"I meant with our little mortal. She looked more than willing then and must be quite _ripe_ now."

Kichiruka hated the way that siren manipulated her voice. "M'lady," he said in respectful tones, "I'm so busy and absent nowadays, I hardly think it's even appropriate to go there." _Especially without even meeting Sesshomaru. _

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Clapping his hand over the conch, the water demon cast a troubled glance at Rin. "You sure you wanna hear this?"

"Do they always call just to harass you?" She looked more concerned than upset at the lascivious innuendo.

"This is a first. Only one other person has a shell like this."

"Come now, Kichiruka, why so hesitant?" Ichikawa's voice resonated through the seashell.

"Excuse me?" Kichiruka uncovered the conch's mouth.

"A man is a fool to deny a woman who proffers herself," the daiyokai recited. "And once you get that far – well, it's like a done deal, wouldn't you say?"

"Lord Ichikawa," a razor-sharp tone edged into the conversation. "I think such a matter is better to discuss in person, no?"

"Really, Tensai?" Ichikawa sounded positively thrilled. "Then please explain to me why ever you had to call your student if it could wait for later. …Say, did Kichiruka design this reception device? You're a smart lad, you could craft me one these 'talk' shells when you return, right?"

"Um…I guess so," Kichiruka said.

"Yes, yes, clever one, isn't he?" Although his words came out pleasant enough, the swordfish spoke as if he would strangle his student at the first chance he got.

"So, getting back to the subject, why don't you just settle matters and take–"

"Lord Ichikawa," Kichiruka interrupted, "that is far out of place."

"You act as if you were a stranger to opportunity. Be honest now."

Looking back and forth from Rin to the seashell, Kichiruka shyly confessed, "I've never had more than one at a time."

Rin's eyes widened. He always looked so sweet and innocent. On second thought, a completely honest relationship was a little overrated.

"You always were good for a laugh, Kichiruka!" Ichikawa brayed on the other line.

"That's enough, m'lord. I do have other uses for that bivalve and trading salacious banter isn't one of them."

"You're one to talk, Tensai. _In vino veritas_."

"Pardon?" The swordfish didn't sound very apologetic.

"It means," Ichikawa said lightly, "a few saké rounds and the hinges on your mouth get well oiled."

Although he wasn't present, Kichiruka could practically feel the yoki overspill emanating from the staff.

Ichikawa didn't pay any mind. "Oh, I liked the phrase myself. 'If you ever have trouble trying to get a woman to sleep with you, just tell her you're impotent. She can't wait to prove you wrong.'" The daiyokai laughed.

Rin looked at her companion. "Kichiruka, your lord is a jerk."

He nodded. "I know."

"Mm? Is someone else there?"

"Yeah….Rin's here."

Tensai swore and there was a smattering of snickers in the background.

Rin reached for the bright orange conch. "Gimme that." Sesshomaru had taught her better than just to stand idly by. "Hello, Lord Ichikawa. I would like to know how I'm supposed to assure Lord Sesshomaru of proper protocol with examples such as these."

Ichikawa chuckled softly, but Rin could sense his tight-lipped smile. Good. "Child, you ought to be ecstatic I condone this arrangement. Many would sooner slit their stomachs than see a contract with a human in the mix."

_Okay, maybe he did have back up artillery. _

"I'm simply trying to move things along. Now, tell me, have you presented any of the concepts of an alliance since your past visit in my territory?" Rin paused a little too long and Ichikawa filled in the gap for her. "No? Then do consider when my patience wears thin. I am making an effort to be cordial with a mortal and my subject – Kichiruka – and will not stand to have it besmirched." Then, like throwing a lever, his voice flitted to its gentler register. "Here you are, Tensai." There was a light smack like the sound of someone catching a careless toss.

"Kichiruka, are you there?"

"Master?"

"Is everything all right?" Inuyasha hollered.

"Just fine," Rin called back. _Dammit_. "I'll give you your space with your teacher." She patted the water demon's shoulder before rising and heading back to the house.

Tensai heaved a disgruntled sigh. "This is why I did not wish to see you and the girl as the bargaining chips between a dog and devil ray. I offer my apologies to Miss Rin for having to hear some of the lewder comments." He paused, considering. "Is she still there?"

"No. She went inside. Something you want to tell me?"

"Yes, it's very confidential, lean in close." Tensai cut loose with the string of obscenities he'd held at bay until that moment. "And this is why you're supposed to shut up and listen to me in the first place! This whole damn travesty could have been circumvented! If you had stuck around like I said so, I wouldn't have to call your ass on the conch and risk Ichikawa and his harpy coming up on me unawares."

After that Kichiruka held the staff in the opposite direction at arm's length while Tensai continued venting his frustrations. Their routine got kind of redundant after a point.

When the tirade quelled somewhat, Kichiruka put his ear back to the seashell. "You're going to meet the Lord of the West, correct?" Tensai asked.

"Yes." Kichiruka wasn't sure when, but all in due time. The twelfth of Never sounded like a good date.

"Then when you're through with your visit get to my study first thing." Tensai pinched the bridge of his nose. _The Dog General's son._ "At this rate, we will need battle plans."

.

_A/N: More updates and a one-shot to come. Thank you for staying with me though the story. :) For a quick laugh: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d34w2f9 (please remove spaces)_


	40. Baited Breath

_A/N: As one astute reader pointed out, the phrase "bated breath" comes from Shakespeare's _The Merchant of Venice _where "bated" is the shortening of "abated." But for the sake of puns, this chapter is entitled…_

**Baited Breath**

"You don't care for it?"

Rin studied the patterns on the new kimono. And sighed.

_Perhaps she doesn't like fish? _Sesshomaru had never considered that her tastes might have changed. Then again the seasons were shifting, too. He should have made a better note of fashions.

Rin looked his way, wordlessly. The daiyokai wasn't sure why he found it so unsettling either, for he could still very much recall a time when she was speechless.

.

The girl rode along on Ah-Un, swinging her feet to some silent tune in her head. She had stopped humming some time ago earlier this morning and now just her scent and sense of her presence were Sesshomaru's only clues that she was there.

The daiyokai strode at the forefront of his motley little pack. And he tried not to let it bother him that there was a human in their midst. A girl-whelp of all things. But he had revived her. He had defied nature and raised her from the dead. He had needed a test subject because Tenseiga was just one headache after another. It only followed the order of things that the girl was his burden.

Her stomach growled.

And, as Sesshomaru's responsibility, that meant he had to interpret every one of her unspoken signals. Oh, she was an obedient subject, but that didn't mean she wasn't an inconvenience. For all the deference she afforded him, the girl remained timid around him. Not that Sesshomaru was unused to it, people – humans and yokai alike – had cowered in his presence for centuries. But her still as mute since the day she met him, the girl made it into a regular guessing game to interpret her needs. Her mouth would work up and down like some carp in a pond and that was the closest she got to speaking. Sesshomaru had initially tried ignoring her, making it necessity that she speak to him if she wanted something, but then she just started slipping off on her own and getting into more trouble than he had the time to waste.

Her stomach growled a second time.

He stopped moving. "You're hungry, aren't you?" Although Sesshomaru spoke in the opposite direction it was fairly clear whom he was addressing.

Out of his master's line of vision, Jaken rolled his eyes. _He's acting like she's an intelligent creature_. This was worse than the way some people conversed with their dogs.

"Jaken."

"I said nothing!"

Sesshomaru ignored his vassal's idiocy. Between the girl and his lackey, it felt he was having to tolerate much of late. "You will escort the girl to find proper aliments."

But it seemed no sooner had the dog-demon dismissed his minions that Jaken came hightailing it back. "Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!"

He leered at Jaken. They were short one orphan whelp.

"The girl…ah, well, she's in a fix," Jaken stammered.

"And you let her get that way?"

"Well, it wasn't my idea to bring her along in the first place."

Sesshomaru gave Jaken just enough time to realize his mistake before punting the exasperating little toad aside and stalking off to find the other burden. He sniffed twice, trying to locate her. Much to the daiyokai's surprise, his sharp canine nose was not the first to pinpoint the girl-child.

Faintly, though the sound was clear enough to signal is nearness, he caught a small voice – more of an ant's than a child's – call his name. "Lord Sesshomaru."

Those were the first words he ever heard her say. His ears told him to look up. Clinging to the branch of a peach tree, the little girl smiled lopsidedly at him.

"Rin…" she said her name uncertainly as if still not quite connecting her name with the owner of the voice. "Rin needs help." She glanced around at the surrounding branches, then at the long drop down to earth, looking for all the world like a kitten caught up in a tree with no idea how to get back down.

Jaken was too small for the job and Ah-Un's necks wouldn't extend far enough for a proper foothold. Sesshomaru frowned, and gathered his yoki for an upward boost.

She held out her skinny, little arms, waiting to be scooped up. Instead, talons locked into the scruff of her collar and Sesshomaru single-handedly hoisted her from the branch. Still holding her at eye level, he arched a brow at her, wondering if the little tagalong would speak again. She pursed her lips inward, curling her mouth in on itself, and shrank into her yukata.

_An anomaly then. _

When they landed, he carefully set her down so that she was standing when he let go.

"Fix yourself," he instructed, flicking a claw to her rumpled clothes.

"Troublesome thing," Jaken muttered.

But before they proceeded too far, another light noise bubbled up from the back of the group. "Thank you." It was too young and girlish to be Jaken and Ah-Un didn't talk. Bringing his entourage to a halt, Sesshomaru turned to see the latest developments of the experiment he thought had stagnated. She walked up to him, stopping a respectful distance away before bowing. And smiling up at him as if he were the most familiar face in the world. "Rin would like to thank Lord Sesshomaru."

"Huh. Accepted," the dog-demon droned.

Her smile widened, showing off the glaring gap in her grin. She'd spoken and Lord Sesshomaru had talked back to her – especially her, without a direct order or question. He never raised his voice, so he hadn't yelled at her either.

"Thank you, too, Master Jaken."

The little imp, however, did yell, but that was okay. He was built like that. And no one stopped her from talking. Like learning to walk, her voice grew stronger with exercise every day.

Sesshomaru noticed, too. The girl – Rin – seized every opportunity to vocalize her presence.

"These are for you!" This was the first time she had offered flowers to him with anything more than a smile.

When Sesshomaru's nose picked up an ogre's head on breeze, Rin turned that to a subject of conversation, too. Or something like it. "Master Jaken, I'll race you!" Before Jaken could even register the challenge, the girl was off like a fired arrow.

She was Rin. Her initially self-addressed speech made that clear. But she also made up songs, babbled stories, asked riddles with no answers, and recited whatever childish rhymes she knew.

Rin talked. And Sesshomaru was her favorite subject. As she grew up, she talked a little less about her daiyokai protector and more to him. He listened – or at least gave the impression that he did, Sesshomaru was very good at it either way. She could tell him anything without fear of rebuke. He still hardly raised his voice at her. He never interrupted – if he had to go, he simply would. No questions or bars in their free and forthright discourse. Sometimes it seemed like he was happy – or as happy as Sesshomaru could appear – just to hear her speak. Rin's voice went through so many permutations as she grew up, but at whatever age it always expressed her completely. And Sesshomaru was there to hear it. He was her first confidant and no one knew Rin better.

.

So why did concern worm its way in through his unflappable confidence when the young woman before him smiled sadly and held his gaze?

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said. "We need to talk."

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! I'm glad I could post before the holiday. Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas and all the best of season's warmth._

_Cartoon thingy: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d35idjc (please remove le spaces)_


	41. Better Pray to Cod

**Better Pray to Cod **

"Talk?"

Rin watched Sesshomaru absentmindedly smooth a hand down his fur. Had she raised his hidden hackles? She wished she'd never asked. Why couldn't she just smile, prattle on about something silly, and then just go about business as usual?

Soft cerulean eyes and an easygoing smile to match came to mind. Kichiruka's voice, the way he made her laugh, and spoke freely with her, even when he didn't know what to say. She remembered how at the start of spring her days seemed vapid and boring – it was because they didn't have Kichiruka. A slightly somber image of the water demon flashed in her memory. _"…I think freedom might be just having a place to come home to." _She didn't need to go anywhere if it meant he would be around.

_But that's not going to happen if I don't say anything. _

Rin cleared her throat. "Yes, there is something I have in mind for…your consid-sideration." _Crap, I didn't just stutter did I?_

Sesshomaru inclined his head. She could continue.

_Please, please, please take your hand from Bakusaiga._ Rin cringed. "What would you say to a courtier?"

"Which clan? Oda or Toyotomi?" Sesshomaru looked expectantly at her. Finally a rational thought to her own security.

Although the dog-demon's expression never changed the atmosphere cooled much more and Rin found the confidence to contradict Sesshomaru. "Neither."

Perfectly in time with the amber gaze that slid her way the ambient tension returned. Rin was grateful they were in their usual open space and not near the village. _Otherwise Kagome's nerves would all be on end. _"Well, I'm just speaking hypothetically, m'lord." She hastily added, "And does it have to be a man of the court?"

"Rin," Sesshomaru said, advancing a step so he nearly towered over her. "The objective is the find the best possible character as well as the best possible situation."

"And what if it were a person with integrity of…unconventional status?"

Magenta eyelids fluttered. "Elaborate."

"Uh, well, I'd like you to meet him first." _Damn that sounded lame._

Meet? Sesshomaru blinked. _Didn't she just say hypothetically?_ "I will not waste my time."

_Geez, do I mention that Kichiruka's a demon now or just wait?_ Rin bit her lip. Sesshomaru stared down his nose at her. Sometimes Rin wondered if the daiyokai liked making her feel small. _Nah, that's just habit. _She took a step backward to get a better scope of him and feel less like the disparity in their height was so perfectly reflective of their authorities. _Mine being pretty small... _"So when may I arrange for an…ah, appointment?"

"He is not here?" A silver brow arched high.

_Well, I didn't want you to kill him on sight._ "I thought it best to schedule a time when both parties would be comfortable."

Sesshomaru's mouth twisted, just this side of a snarl or a sneer. Looking off to his right, he considered the distant meadow. It was considerably easier to read Rin's scent without the distraction of her expressions. "You're concerned about something."

_Does he have to make it sound like an accusation? _"Yes." To Rin's own surprise the admission seemed to disarm the daiyokai. His jaw loosened and his hands unclenched. Except he frowned when he closed his eyes.

"Why?" Sesshomaru hated that though he could decipher Rin's emotions it wasn't the same as knowing the exact underpinnings.

"Isn't every girl anxious for the highest of approbations?" she chirped.

"Huh," Sesshomaru huffed. "We shall see."

Rin sighed. That was the best she was going to hear from him. It meant they were at least in the realm of consideration. Kichiruka would at least have a running start. _Just hopefully not in the literal sense._ Rin did her best to smile. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

For a second, golden eyes widened and saw a small child superimposed over the young lady before them. Sesshomaru snorted and whirled around.

"Don't mention it."

oOo

"In three days?" Kichiruka gaped. He took a staggering step backward. Rin had to make a grab for him before the stunned demon fell backward into the brook.

Sinking to his knees, Kichiruka laughed dementedly. "Three days…all at once, is it?"

"Are you okay?" Rin just noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She remembered that as a lesser demon he probably had to sleep once in a while too.

"Rin dear, I'd be thrilled to meet your guardian" – Kichiruka's voice came out strained – "but I have exams coming up."

"What?"

"Exams," he choked. "Please don't make me repeat that horrid word."

"You're kidding me, right? It's not like I can snap my fingers and ask Sesshomaru to pick another day. Can't you reschedule with Tensai?"

"I really, really wish I could." He groaned. "Believe me."

"Then?"

"Master Tensai would be completely unreasonable." A column of water shot up behind Kichiruka and the dolphin yokai felt a shiver zing up his spine.

Rin recognized the long, black robe and sharp, angular features of the thin man who approached them. Tensai strode up to Kichiruka, clamped a hand on his shoulder, and spun him around. There were some perks to this more human form. Without the extra fourteen inches of sharp bone between them, he could get up into Kichiruka's face. "I'm to assess you by the week's end and you're out here making cow eyes at a _girl?"_

Kichiruka's aura prickled finely along the hairs on his neck. He was exhausted and for once in as bad a mood as his teacher. "Hey, if you didn't act like a damn slave driver maybe I wouldn't have to run away once in a while."

Tensai shoved his impertinent student in the chest, easily knocking him off balance and into the tall grass. "You've got more important things to worry about – I'd hope your life takes some priority."

Kichiruka's eyes lost their bright defiance and he struggled to sit upright. "You mean there's a lethal element to the next test?"

"To the next three."

"I thought you liked me!"

Tensai shrugged. "After several rounds of hard liquor, sure."

Rin looked back and forth between the two yokai. Kichiruka looked like he was about to cry and Tensai scowled at the ground and turned in the other direction. _These two... _"Master Tensai, can Kichiruka please postpone his scheduled examinations?"

The swordfish looked down the abbreviated length of his nose at Rin. "Whatever for?"

"I was able to arrange a time for him to meet with Lord Sesshomaru and…"

"No."

Kichiruka staggered to stand. "See? Toldja he'd be unreasonable. Ow!" He fell face-flat on the ground again.

Tensai popped his knuckles, but tipped his head toward Rin. "My apologies, but I cannot conduct the evaluation at any faster rate. He'll be the better for it."

"That which does not kill you often makes you wish it had," Kichiruka muttered sullenly around a mouthful of soil.

Rin patted her friend's shoulder. "Will he be all right?"

Tensai barked a short laugh and jerked on the collar of Kichiruka's jacket, dragging him to his feet with an inhuman strength. "If he prepares." Yellow eyes suddenly glinted and fell to Rin's waist. "Young lady, may I observe a sample of your infusion blade?"

Rin's hand fell on the green hilt of the Shadow Teeth. _A sample?_ She glanced back and forth between Kichiruka and Tensai. One looking completely innocent and the other with the expression of grim knowledge. "You mean you're preparing Kich' to…"

"One can't be too careful. Just so he gets an impression. Now, a demonstration if you please."

Rin nodded. And drew the blade. "I'm not sure if it'll react. It's not like I feel threatened by you, Master Ten—"

Tensai blurred into motion, ripping the conch staff from his student's hand and – whispering an incantation as he traced a pair of fingers down its length – he spun the staff once and clashed it against Rin's blade.

With the crack between shell and steel, it felt as if everything froze. No sparks flew. Only the hissing rush of yoki, a sound like spritzing water on to hot embers, as the extensions of Sesshomaru's aura curled along the blade's edge. A split second later, the eerie green blaze roared like a bonfire between them.

_What did he do?_ Rin felt the hilt growing hot in her hands. When she looked up the sword's ghostly canine loomed protectively over her, fangs bared and wispy tendrils that mimicked the appearance of saliva flickered from its mouth. Kichiruka yelped when it lunged in place. The dog's head snapped out, its bark sounding more like a wildfire's snarl.

Tensai quaked where he stood, trembling with a mixture of envy, admiration, and dread. This was just a pittance of the raw, unmitigated power of a daiyokai. He was not about to throw his student out to face _that_ without, at the very least, an escape plan.

"I hope you're taking notes, boy," Tensai barked over the phantom's beast's blazing roar. Careful not to get too close, he waved the conch staff and the venom dog's head swung in the same direction, tracking the motion. Tensai took one step backward and the canine eased to its haunches.

_It's like he has it charmed, _Rin observed. "Master Tensai, how're you doing that?"

"You have an infusion blade, meaning it will react with other demonic aura," he lectured. It was much easier to pretend he wasn't doing something reckless and stupid if he could feign competency. "This staff, however, functions primarily as a conduit for water – so there isn't necessarily any yoki attached to it beyond the bearer's. In short, the neutrality permits me to elicit the infusion blade's full potential and – so long as you don't panic, Miss Rin – charm it for a short time."

"Can you do this with all yokai powers?" Kichiruka asked eagerly.

Tensai flicked his eyes to the dolphin at his side then back to the beast when he felt it start to shift. "Lord Sesshomaru is a living, functioning, poison-breathing daiyokai. This is just a mindless shade."

Kichiruka gulped. _Dandy_.

"Miss Rin, would you please return your weapon to its scabbard?"

Rin nodded and sheathed the blade. "You don't know how to make the dog disappear otherwise?"

"Draw," Tensai ordered, then more politely added, "If you'd please."

The sword came out as it was. Simply a fine, shining arc of steel.

"It is the fastest way to quell the sword's yoki," Tensai finally answered. _And that must have been some tree they found for the scabbard._ "Tell me, is this only a portion of Lord Sesshomaru's power or is it aligned directly to his person?"

Rin tapped a hand to her chin and recalled the time Sesshomaru had lectured her about using the venom beast for mere practice, and what a distraction it could be. "It's directly linked to his poison claws."

Tensai's face paled and the gills on his neck flipped closed. He suddenly shoved the conch staff back into Kichiruka's hands and hustled him toward the brook again. Tensai forced a smile. "Thank you, Miss Rin, much obliged! See you in six days' time!" He whirled on Kichiruka. "Hurry up, idiot, or it'll be both our hides on the line."

"Wait, I wanna say goodbye!"

"Waste any more time and it'll be your final farewell. Move!"

With no small amount of their usual fussing, the pair of water yokai managed to disappear into the brook's current. It wasn't until she was positive that she was alone once more, Rin dropped to her knees, the sword still in a loose, one-handed grip.

And she didn't move until a heavy, iron plated boot crunched the grass beside her.

"Something wrong?" Sesshomaru's voice remained bland, but his claws were still tingling. He had tried to ignore the spasm this time, but it had been persistent so it must have been urgent. "Well?" he pressed.

"Testing and practicing. Familiarity is a strength, too," she answered, without meeting the daiyokai's gaze. Rin bunched her knees together so at least she could feel like she was sitting properly. She studied the blade once more before sheathing it. "It occurred to me that maybe more time should be allotted."

"For?"

"Preparations. Say six days as opposed to three?" She hoped that Sesshomaru understood to what she was eluding…and that he wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Agreed."

_Just like that?_

In one smooth motion, Sesshomaru drew Tenseiga from its scabbard. "I sensed that you have been practicing again. Show me."

Rin suppressed a groan. But Sesshomaru wasn't asking anymore questions.

_But how come getting what you wanted wasn't as easy as wishing makes it sound?_

_._

_A/N: Last post of the year! Thank you for joining _Hooked_ and here's wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year! _

_For fun: http:/feral-instinct .deviantart .com/#/d3622hm_


	42. Bigger Fish to Fry

_A/N: Because anachronisms are funny. And I still have no idea how to work an iPhone…_

**Bigger Fish to Fry**

"That was just in the nick of time," Tensai grumbled once he and Kichiruka materialized in their home ocean, more specifically Tensai's study. _Good choice_. In the privacy of his own quarters, the swordfish shuddered into his preferred form – his nose lengthening, skin darkening to a cobalt blue, and eyes going completely yellow with only beady, black pupils floating in them. It was like shucking out of a pair of uncomfortable shoes. The next part wasn't so easy.

Kichiruka watched his teacher grimace and grit his teeth as a tailfin took the place of his feet. "Does it hurt?"

"No, no, the realignment and lengthening of my spine at the loss of limbs this is a completely normal thing," Tensai sarcastically hissed, his voice sharpened twofold by pain. "Common yokai aren't expected to have guises this advanced. It's supposedly not in our capacity." He spat the last word like it had a rancid taste.

Kichiruka blinked, looking at his own hands. He knew if he didn't walk for an extended period of time his knees gave out, but shape-twisting wasn't that excruciating. "I'm always okay, no matter the transition."

"You're not changing your class, idiot. There's a difference between fish and…whatever the hell you are." Tensai winced and twisted his back until a few vertebrae popped into place. He sighed. "You're also younger. Now don't go swimming off just yet, there're some more materials I want you to take home."

While Tensai disappeared into the next room, Kichiruka floated around his teacher's study. Tensai's quarters were always spacious. Organized to a point, the stone floor and its geometric engravings were kept visible at all times. Kichiruka could read most of it, but the meaning and, incidentally, the effects all varied according to position, incantations, and mediums used. Just looking at it knowing that his exam loomed just a day ahead made Kichiruka's stomach knot. He shifted his gaze and looked elsewhere. Urns, jars, vials, ensorcelled scrolls – labeled and arranged for easy access. Kichiruka admired the order, even if he lacked the ability to keep his own place so perfectly neat.

An iridescent gleam caught his eye. In one corner a large bubble rolled in a small limestone basin, the seven colors playing across its surface. Unbidden, Kichiruka drifted over. This basin was similar to the hidden one where Tensai replayed his memories, but the purpose was entirely different. He'd seen Tensai use this particular one to sift through current happenings, mostly glancing at public addresses Ichikawa delivered so he could get out of actually having to attend. _Come to think of it, I wonder if he's ever used this to track me down…_ Kichiruka shook his head to clear the image and moved on to satisfy his own curiosity. _Let's see. If I remember, you're supposed to touch here and turn it like this. Right?_ Kichiruka ran his hand over the surface. An overhead view of the study appeared on the surface. He smiled. Too bad humans didn't have screens that they could navigate with a single touch. He traced a finger past the bird's eye view of Mikan Beach, the land scenes shifting until he found the brook bordering Rin's village. He tapped the bubble's smooth surface and it zoomed in at a closer range.

_Show me Rin…Please?_

The sphere's surface glowed bright pink for a moment before clearing to a gauzier image of the brook where Kichiruka had been just minutes ago. Rin wasn't alone either. A silver-haired demon Kichiruka recognized from a near run-in earlier in that summer stood beside her.

Sesshomaru's back was to him and Kichiruka had to spin the bubble to move past all the fur that puffed over the dog-demon's shoulder for a better vantage point. Red stripes blazed across high cheek bones and the eyes above them were the intense amber of kiln embers. The crest of the elite poison users swept across his forehead. Kichiruka trembled as the fresh memory of the venom blade barked in his mind. If the spiked armor didn't speak for itself, Sesshomaru's stern expression certainly did. _Keep your distance. _

Kichiruka had been advised long ago and learned in his own practice,"Never trust a man who doesn't laugh." Even Tensai couldn't help a gruff _hah_ once in a while. Sesshomaru looked like he rarely smiled, much less laughed.

Kichiruka brushed off the thought. No negative preconceptions. So what if Sesshomaru could slice off his head as soon as look at him? No negative preconceptions. But for the record, Sesshomaru probably didn't need to slice anyway; most daiyokai could flex an extension of their aura with a flick of their fingertips. No negative preconceptions. Wasn't said that dogs could smell fear? _No negative preconceptions!_

A resonating _KLANG_ from the bubble made him jump. When Kichiruka looked again Sesshomaru had drawn a sword on Rin! He grabbed the conch staff, a heartbeat away from teleporting straight over. _Wait_. Closing his eyes and steadying himself, Kichiruka recalled how Rin often spoke of training with Sesshomaru. _It's just strange to actually see it._

Settling back down, Kichiruka watched the two. He knew he probably should have been paying attention to their exchanges and the dog-demon's fighting style, but that didn't seem too important here. _He's taking his time for her._ Sesshomaru moved at a pace that was easy for human eyes to track, almost laughable for a demon. He sidestepped a few of Rin's strikes, blocked or parried most to gauge her recovery, but still let a couple slip past his defenses when they seemed worthy. There was attention to form, but mostly to Rin striking swift and vital points. Rin wanted to be stronger and Sesshomaru pushed her toward it. The daiyokai didn't seem angry or upset – _well, he doesn't seem much of anything_ – at the green slash that ate away at his breastplate. When she called upon the venom dog Kichiruka hoped Rin could see the approval in Sesshomaru's eyes.

A light smile curled spotted cheeks. _He really loves her._

Tensai reentered the room.

"Say, Master Tensai, do –"

A stony set of inscribed tablets slammed into Kichiruka's lap, nearly crushing every bone in his legs. "Yeow!"

"Well don't just sit there with that stupid look on your face! You've got only one day more to study and then your first exam is the following morning! Are you going to get on top of it or not? Damn, must I do twice the thinking for you?" Without a second glance, he turned to the bubble and waved a hand over the surface so it reset to its generic multicolor display. "And this isn't a toy!"

"I was watching – "

"I don't care what the score is, idiot."

"It's not sports!...Though the favorites this year are –"

Tensai jabbed his nose into Kichiruka's chest. "You can study here and ask last-minute questions or go back to that capsized derelict of yours. Either way, shut up and do it."

_How am I supposed to ask questions if you expect me to shut up?_ Kichiruka grumbled, collecting his reading material, and lurched off to a corner where Tensai tolerated his presence. With an exaggerated display, he finally got to work, reading up for whatever torture his instructor had in store.

_I wish Master Tensai were half as nice as Lord Sesshomaru. _

oOo

Left behind by his lordship some distance away, Jaken had arrived at the tail end of the sparring session. Lord Sesshomaru had certainly done quite a job with such a scrawny human girl.

Sesshomaru made a cutting motion with his hand. "Enough."

Although her overall technique still had its rough edges, Rin's fighting was more spirited this time. He was quite pleased with that. It was about time she had the right mindset, whatever her motivation.

While Rin went through the motions of cleaning her blade and readjusting her clothes, Sesshomaru checked their surroundings again. The scent was still there. "Sea salt?"

"It…um, might be these." Rin held out the pair of conic shelled earrings Kichiruka had given her. Maybe if she could get him used to the scent of her dearest friend the inu-yokai wouldn't revert to his protective instincts straightaway and slaughter the strange demon on sight.

Sesshomaru's nose twitched as he eyed the bright orange jewelry. The scent was similar, but… "You've had those for a while," he observed.

Rin shrugged. "Well, I wondered if maybe that's what you smelled."

Jaken snorted. "If you ask me, the salt scent seems more like it's coming from this puny riv—"

Rin kicked Jaken into the brook. And Sesshomaru ignored the exchange.

"Where did you get those earrings, Rin?"

_From Kichiruka's conch staff_. "They were a gift."

"Huh. Interesting craftsmanship." He had no reason to suspect it, but Sesshomaru checked for any trace of demonic aura. Nothing. He ran through a mental list of noble families with seaside holdings. Although he hardly bothered to keep track of human daimyo – their terms of succession were considerably rapid by yokai standard – he knew offhand that the nearest one was already married and with prospective heirs in mind. And Rin had shown a distaste toward older men.

Sesshomaru shrugged off the idea. Whomever it was he had a hunch he would find out soon enough. And it certainly put Rin in high, albeit anxious, spirits. She did say "unconventional status" – did she mean a vassal? Upper-class samurai weren't such a bad choice. Formal and fiercely loyal, yes, those sorts of soldiers were acceptable.

Rin saw the barest of nods from Sesshomaru as he gazed off somewhere else. _Geez, is he calculating my dowry already? _

But the dog-demon only asked, "Has Kohaku yet returned from his departure last month?"

Rin exhaled slowly. Over the course of the seasons, the taijiya had made it back into the Western Lord's good graces enough to become a subject of discussion again. "He's been back for a couple of days now," Rin answered.

"Send for him," Sesshomaru said. He could take his time today. The air was crisp and the days like this might not be as frequent as they went further into autumn. Sesshomaru had caught an extra whiff of moisture in the air. Rain was coming soon. He was going to need to look into warmer attire for his charge.

As she strolled back home for Kohaku Rin didn't need to fake her smile. It came naturally. _He's in a favorable humor, Kich'._ She just hoped Sesshomaru's good mood would outlast the week.

oOo

"You were supposed to kill it!" Tensai railed.

"If I remember correctly," Kichiruka said, scratching the creature behind one horn that was as long as he was tall, "your instructions were to subdue him." The gargantuan seahorse crooned and rubbed its spout under the demon's open palm. "Besides he was just minding his own business. Wouldja look at what he had lodged under one of his scales?" Kichiruka hefted a small boulder. "I think that's why he was in such a bad mood. Hey, Master Tensai, maybe we should check under your gills for any –"

Tensai kneaded his brow, making every effort to tune out his student's babbling. This was the second exam. Kichiruka had passed the first on potions and incantations with the second highest mark Tensai had seen in his lifetime. The dolphin's retention was exceptional. But for this second round he hadn't expected him to complete at least a day's examination so quickly. And it wasn't even really a fight either. But he did complete it. And, although the means had been unexpected, Kichiruka was efficient. "In that case – hey, quit kissing that thing! You don't know where it's been!"

Kichiruka looked up from nuzzling the seahorse. "Sorry."

"I was talking to the animal." Tensai switched to the common oceanic language and shooed it away. He returned his attention to Kichiruka. "Since you completed the second exam at an unprecedented time we will proceed with the third and final assessment immediately. Two conditions will apply: first, you must maintain a temporary form at all times. Loss of control is seen as an inadequacy. Secondly, you may not employ any techniques directly given to you by the proctor. So no teleportation."

"Say what?"

Tensai continued, "Violation of either of these rules will have you disqualified at once. As the student you implicitly understand that a fatality may occur during the course of your examination. Questions?"

Kichiruka unnecessarily raised his hand. "Is this also combat orientated?"

_Did he miss the part about possible fatality? _Tensai rolled his eyes. "Yes. Your next opponent will be me."

Kichiruka paled. "Master Tensai, I don't want to slay you!"

"Moron. If you can incapacitate me, you'll pass. I'm a master, you're barely at a graduate's level." Reaching into his robes, Tensai retrieved a small, conical shell. "Now, go!" He threw the seashell like a dart in Kichiruka's direction.

Zipping aside, the younger demon successfully dodged the shot. "Missed!"

Tensai smiled. _You mean, perfect_.

Kichiruka spun his conch staff, preparing to attack. Tensai made a sweeping motion with his arm, as if beckoning him to advance. Kichiruka never noticed the looming shadow behind him.

Only when Tensai fanned out his fingers did Kichiruka glance over his shoulder and look into the gaping maw of a giant sea serpent. Tensai abruptly closed his fingers into a loose fist and his student was engulfed in a single snap of jaws.

"Cheater!" Kichiruka hollered as he pried open the monster's mouth with his staff.

"You should be able to manipulate all forms of water, boy." Tensai squeezed his fist, gradually increasing the pressure. Kichiruka winced as his strength began to wane. "At the very least, you should have heard this brute approaching." He clenched his fist all together. "Idiot."

The jaws clamped shut. Tensai heaved an exasperated sigh. _I'll give him to the count of ten._

The serpent shuddered, then sneezed and spat out a small glacier. Kichiruka hopped off the ice floe with ease, back-flipping and bouncing off of the monster's head. "That wasn't too hard." He twirled the conch staff with refreshed cocksure – and with the other hand secretly pocketed the shell he'd picked off the serpent's forehead. A jester's acrobatics were good for something after all. He swam a little closer, but cautiously kept his distance. "One question?"

"That time has long past." Tensai reached into his sash and pulled out a small, white tusk. He snapped his wrist and the ends spiraled into twin pikes on either end. Horned whales weren't common in these waters and Tensai had traveled far to acquire the weapon for his own candidacy as a graduate. Much in the way Kichiruka had for the conch staff.

"Okay, when you said incapacitate," Kichiruka said, continuing with his question and ignoring the presented threat, "do I have to use physical for—EEEEEK!"

Kichiruka dodged the first strike, but when Tensai spun the double-pointed lance he grazed him with the other end.

"Crap, that nearly took out my shoulder!"

"Most would've aimed for your heart."

With the ease of centuries' practice, Tensai swung again. The weapon was more than a mere halberd and spinning it created a virtually perfect combination of offensive and defensive strength. Get too close and lose a limb. This time when they clashed Kichiruka deflected a blow with his conch staff, but it took all his strength to hold the pike down in a lock.

Tensai frowned. "You aren't worthy of wielding that staff if you think you can use it as a base weapon."

Kichiruka smiled. "I'm not. You said it's better as a conduit, remember? If you can command the size and shape of this thing, then that means there's a trace of yoki inside." He grunted and began to carefully and faultlessly repeat the incantation his teacher had used to enchant Rin's infusion blade.

Tensai growled. The lance bucked in his grip and he fought to hang on before Kichiruka wrested it away.

Damn. "Fine. Take it." Tensai freed his hands and clapped them together, blurring through a complex set of motions.

Kichiruka felt a cold draft sweep past him. And he abruptly realized that the water surrounding him had disappeared. He had a small eternity to see the ocean funnel open straight up to the surface. _Air?_ Kichiruka dully registered it before he fell back into the whirlpool that yawned open for him.

Taking the opportunity to collect the tusk, Tensai restored it to its full length. The whirlpool dissipated, spitting out a disorientated Kichiruka. The dolphin yokai didn't move and only drifted limply in the current. Tensai sped over. He had hoped Kichiruka would have been prepared enough to counter the whirlpool. If he was unconscious this exam was already over. If not…he gripped the twin pike. When he was within range, Tensai prepared to end it in one sure strike.

No hesitation. _He's not ready._ Tensai swung. But inches from Kichiruka the lance stopped short. _A barrier? _

Lively as ever, Kichiruka rolled around in the safety of his clear, self-made sphere. He grinned, patting the inside. "And you said it would break."

Tensai scowled. The whirlpool. Kichiruka must have taken in air then.

"Check it out, semipermeable, too!" A spotted hand poked out and made a fast flinging motion.

Tensai didn't pay any mind to the distraction. "Your task still stands to incapacitate me." The swordfish prodded the protective barrier. "And you're not going accomplish that sitting inside a bubble."

Kichiruka snickered. Then pointed wildly to the space over his teacher's shoulder. "Wow! Master Tensai, look!"

He smirked. "You'll have to do better than that old ruse if you plan to fool m—"

The sea serpent from before, now spellbound by a modified charm, opened its jaws and snapped once over Kichiruka's instructor.

_I tried to warn him. _Letting his barrier dissolve, the dolphin yokai looked at his own closed fist. _I don't feel him struggling._ _Does this mean I won? _

A pained roar brought Kichiruka's attention back to the sea beast. A bulge had grown in the monster's slender throat and it hacked once more before a marlin the size of a mansion pierced its way out. Keeping his true form, Tensai shook off the serpent's corpse before turning pupil-less yellow eyes on his student. He clicked angrily.

_I hope you don't think that will work on just any demon._ He swung his head and the pike of his bill nearly took out Kichiruka in a single sweep.

"I thought you said no transforming!"

A low click issued from the swordfish.

Blue eyes rolled skyward. _No transforming for me. Of course. _

And Tensai rounded on him again. Heart racing, Kichiruka dove under the gigantic swordfish, hoping to stay out his line of vision for what it was worth.

_I wonder if he really meant it when he said he might kill me. _Another rift in the water nearly took out Kichiruka's arm, cutting deep. _Best not find out._

With a speed at odds with his size, Tensai moved quickly in the water. Kichiruka never saw him turn around. And again he had to veer just out of getting skewered.

_I can't keep this up much longer._ Tensai was much more difficult to manage in this form. The disparity in their sizes alone kept Kichiruka from getting far, but he couldn't keep dodging at this rate. Without his teleportation technique Kichiruka was grimly aware that he could only play ring-around-the-yokai for so long.

_Damn, but how to get him to revert back?_

Kichiruka torpedoed under, away from Tensai's dangerous end. Or so he thought. The heavy smack from the demon's caudal fin sent Kichiruka careening into a wall of coral. Momentum alone knocked him near senseless, but sharp-edged reef shrapnel shredded into his jacket and found slicing purchase on his body. Kichiruka coughed and tasted the sweet copper of blood. He tried to raise a hand to wave away the red cloud before him, but the feeling in that arm was gone. An unusually large starfish dropped on his chest from the reef above. It sat lazily. _Wish I could be you._ Looking up, he saw the piscine yokai poised to strike. _He's going to finish me now? _Kichiruka tried moving and pain seared through every nerve in his body. _I can't move. Just tired…_

Tensai lunged.

Kichiruka heard the crack of coral. But didn't feel any impact on himself. One more chance. _Move it!_ Gritting his teeth he mustered the last of his strength and swam as speedily as his flagging yoki could propel him.

Tensai's nose caught deep in the coral. He thrashed, but it held fast. Damn. Twisting into his preferred form, he whirled around and searched for his pupil.

"Kichiruka!" No answer. "Kichiruka! Teleportation out of the premises constitutes disqualification."

There was one way to track him down. Preparing to cast a search spell, Tensai folded his hands together. And a solid block of ice froze over them.

"What the hell?" Without the use of his hands, Tensai switched to a verbal spell. He paused when something spiraled in the corner of his vision. _A shuriken?_ A starfish slapped over Tensai's mouth, cutting him off before another syllable left his lips. "_Mmph?_"

"Over here, Master Tensai!" Roughed up but still smiling, Kichiruka twirled the conch staff in his good hand as he floated up from the ocean's depths. "Does this count for incapacitation?"

Tensai harrumphed loudly under his bonds, and glared at Kichiruka. Blue eyes danced triumphantly. Tensai closed his own and shook his head. _As hard and ruthless as a rose petal, aren't you?_

Slowly, the old swordfish nodded. His student had passed.

Kichiruka smiled and gently tapped the conch to his teacher's hands. The ice broke apart and, the second he was free, Tensai immediately tore away the starfish. He ran a hand over his jaw. And grumbled. Too late.

Kichiruka guffawed. "Hey, you have bunch of funny suction marks all over your face!"

Tensai let him laugh it up. He earned. "A note on this: You should have aimed for my gills."

Kichiruka's dolphin cackle died away. "That would've been dirty."

_And I would have thought less of you._ Tensai shrugged. "In case you haven't noticed, boy, nobody fights fair."

"Yeah, I kinda did," Kichiruka snorted. "You were really trying to kill me, weren't you?"

Motioning for his student to follow, Tensai headed in the direction of his study. "I missed."

"Intentionally?"

"Let's just say if you had not moved at the provided opportunity I would have failed you. My job is to assess you, not gratuitous violence." Yellow eyes looked up and down Kichiruka's wounds. "I suppose you'll be needing a ride." In a gesture that brooked no refusal, Tensai shifted into his true form. Awkwardly, he motioned with his head. _Get on_.

Kichiruka gulped. He wasn't afraid that his teacher would hurt him. Not now that the exam was over. But the speed they were going to break. Closing his eyes and holding on tight, Kichiruka said his prayers. Swordfish swam _fast_.

Minutes later when they reached Tensai's quarters, Kichiruka was promptly plunked into a stool with a curved seat. "Strip," he ordered. While Kichiruka removed the tattered remains of his jacket and shirt across the room Tensai scanned a shelf and pulled a poultice from a cluster of jars.

"Let me see your arm." With the base of his palm, Tensai rubbed the medicine in. One gash was particularly deep. Kichiruka winced.

"Sorry."

Kichiruka blinked. That was the last word he had expected to hear from his gruff mentor.

Tensai finished winding a white cloth over the arm. He checked to clean more severe cuts. Most were superficial, but a couple needed immediate treatment for proper healing. When all was complete he asked, "Can you stand?"

Kichiruka nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He wasn't used to anyone being this attentive to him.

"Get over there," Tensai directed curtly, pointing one way then swishing into the adjoining atrium. Presently, he stepped back out, a tightly folded package in the crook of his arm. "Straighten up some. It's not becoming of a new graduate."

"Graduate?" Kichiruka perked up. "Oooh, were these promotional exams?" he asked hopefully, breaking into a grin.

Tensai frowned. And averted his eyes.

"They are!" The younger demon cheered and hugged his teacher.

"Three second rule!" Tensai squirmed at the indignity. "Get off!"

Kichiruka obeyed, but he practically danced in place. A graduate! He'd never been given an esteemed rank like that before. It was unheard of for some waif, an "orphan boy," to amount to anything. He tried pumping his fist, but the torn ligaments in his arm flared so he settled for another cheer.

Tensai ignored the prancing dolt and shook out the robe in his hands. It was a dark, majestic blue with white bordered triangles patterned over it. "See how this fits."

Kichiruka fingered the fine cloth. He felt a little breathless. "Is this for me?"

"Not this one itself. We'll have your own commissioned, but I'll need measurements first. Put it on."

"Wow!" Kichiruka was absolutely giddy at the chance to wear his teacher's old robe. Albeit the thing was somewhat oversized. "Will the design pattern stay the same?"

Tensai cuffed the sleeves for him. "Yes, that's your identification as a spellcaster. No one else is permitted it." Pulling some pins from the inside of his own sleeves, Tensai called for his student's pause.

Kichiruka held still and kept quiet for a while. As he reigned in his excitement, hi thoughts drifted toward a favorite subject: Rin. Then he remembered Sesshomaru and the training he had observed a few days ago. "Master Tensai…?"

"Hrm?"

"Would you say that family is where you find it?"

The needle in Tensai's hand slipped. Kichiruka yelped. "You had that coming," the swordfish grumbled. "What inspires this question?"

"I was just wondering…y'know, like when you don't have any blood members to go to and your closest associates become…?" Kichiruka's voice trailed off as he became aware of his teacher's glare and staunch posture. "I was thinking about Rin and Lord Sesshomaru," he blurted out.

Tensai tilted his head skeptically, but his shoulders relaxed. "And?"

"I dunno, it seems…nice what they have. From the way Rin talks about him and everything she describes. And then Rin herself…she's self-possessed and strong and really patient. I think she's learned a lot from –"

"Boy, you're prattling. What's your point?"

Kichiruka sighed. "It makes me worry that if Sesshomaru doesn't approve of me where does that leave Rin?...I wouldn't want to put her in a position where she feels…divided."

Tensai snorted. "You're worrying about something you haven't even come to deal with yet."

"You think so?"

"You want to see if it'll work out? Then you'll have to speak with Sesshomaru yourself." Tensai resumed his pinning and measurements. "You can't expect opportunity to take root if you don't tow the silt yourself."

Kichiruka chewed his lip. "That's an interesting way to look at it."

Tensai smirked. "Heh, Ichikawa said that."

"Sounds like him," Kichiruka chuckled.

"Indeed. He told me that when he was pawning off a student who would prove particularly tiresome."

Sapphire eyes blinked in true astonishment. "Really? Which one?"

Tensai heaved an exasperated sigh and tugged on his pupil's lapels. "Still so insufferable."

_Oh_. Kichiruka just smiled. "So when can I return to you for my master's examination?"

"Never." Tensai swam behind the new grad and decided the collar needed adjustments.

"Why not?" Kichiruka tried turning his head to make eye contact his instructor who snapped at him for squirming.

"I'm not qualified to give you an evaluation for a Master of Arcane Arts."

"Don't you simply have to be of the station to conduct the assessment?"

"Yes, but…" Tensai growled low in his throat. "Any evaluation I perform for that rite would be null because I was expelled by my own teacher."

"Really?"

"What? Did I stutter? Yes, dammit." He fumed privately for a moment. Then continued, "My graduate examinations are valid because I passed them without marring my record, but after that I committed a first-class offense."

"Why? Erm, how?"

"Because I…engaged in conduct unbecoming of a student." He sounded like he was reciting the very rights they'd read to him. He snorted. "I became enamored of a human. And, like a fool, I chose my short-lived mortal over my life's career."

"You regret it?"

The older demon sighed, drifting backward in the current to look at Kichiruka, dressed in the same robe he had worn centuries ago. "Not quite…No," he decided. "I may not even be decorating you had I not similar…sympathies."

"Master Tensai," Kichiruka sniffled. "I'm touched."

"In the head, quite so…And quit your fidgeting!" Tensai pinned the last fold of the coat and it was still too long around the sleeves. "I guess we'll get to those later."

"I'll grow into it."

Although he was young, Kichiruka was already an adult yokai and he had little left in the way of growing to do. Tensai laughed at the thought. "We'll see. For now we should look into getting you the proper apparel to go with it. Full-length hakama for starters."

"Okay, but I wanna keep my shirt."

"No; clamshells and triangles clash," Tensai said with a grumble.

"I like clams," Kichiruka protested.

"You're an idiot."

"_You_ promoted me!"

"And I'm regretting it now. Pick a solid color."

Kichiruka opened his mouth to argue, but a smooth voice overrode it.

"Kichiruka, listen to your teacher." Ichikawa glided over, his inky black wings rippling with the movement. He landed in the middle of the room, looking around at the out-dated décor, before settling turquoise eyes on his young subject. "You will wear my colors."

_Seasick green?_ Kichiruka thought with a recoil.

Without waiting for any objection, Ichikawa already had his back to him, addressing the swordfish instead. "I generally have a 'don't ask, don't care' policy, but Tensai, I wish you had told me earlier you were – what's the euphemism? – of the _domestic persuasion_. If it means the difference between your contentment and choler, I could have accommodations made with the local village girls…"

"No thank you," the swordfish flatly declined.

Ichikawa smirked. "My, my, it was serious, then?"

The sail on Tensai's head flushed a deep blue, his expression darkening. For once, Ichikawa thought better than to pursue the matter. He understood the delicacy well enough himself. Moving on, the manta ray turned to his former jester. "Congratulations, Kichiruka. I do hope this goes well. We've made arrangements for a replacement for you so if you get rejected don't expect your original position back." He smiled when he said it.

Kichiruka rolled his eyes, giving his best shot at nonchalance. "Can't wait to get rid of me, huh?"

Ichikawa laughed. "Oh, now I'm hurt. You truly think I would simply cast away one of my fine subjects to be another demon's chew toy? Your ties will always be with us, Kichiruka….And make sure you have enough hanyo to secure a good line of generations."

Kichiruka laughed uncertainly and Tensai palmed his face.

"You were a good find and it pleases me when investments pay off." Ichikawa's wings pulled away from his body in a gesture imitating a shrug. "I look forward to hearing how this goes."

Kichiruka half-smiled. "Heh, yeah, I can't wait."

Ichikawa smirked. "Me neither."

.

_A/N: As you may notice with the delay in updates, I've returned to campus and am met with a load of responsibilities. To that end, I will not be able to guarantee a chapter update next week. (Though I'll make my very best effort.) Thank you for all your reviews – the encouragement is most appreciated and I will always make the effort to reply (so if you have an account please sign in). 'Til next time! _

_Eh, deleted scene. Please remove spaces before use: feral-instinct .deviantart. com/#/d36vmd2_


	43. Something Fishy

_A/N: The weather in this chapter couldn't be any more different from what we're experiencing in LA. Ah well. I assume full responsibility for the shameless dig for the amusement of Sess/Kag fans everywhere. _

**Something Fishy**

When Rin found Kohaku his first response was a smile and a question she couldn't answer.

"So what does he think of Kichiruka?"

She looked at the dirt under her feet.

The greater kusarigama dropped from numb fingers. "You _still_ haven't said anything?"

Rin huffed, growing frustrated with all the hype. "Well, it's not exactly an easy subject to broach…Do you want to help me out?" Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Just send Kohaku on his way and let Sesshomaru draw up his own picture-perfect schematic for what her man should be.

Kohaku tugged at the whiskers on his chin. "Help how so? Kichiruka isn't _my_ guy."

"Oh, c'mon! It's not that hard." Miyoko came up behind him and gave her fiancé's ear a jerk. "Drop hints! Obviously!"

Rin smiled feebly. "Something like that."

"Like say how nice it would be to have yokai in-laws. More specifically Rin with one, blah-dee-dah…" The rappa made a continuing gesture with her hand.

Kohaku rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. "I guess…"

Both women looked at him. "Just do it!"

Miyoko turned on Rin. "That goes for you too, sister."

oOo

"That was close." Kohaku dodged the first strike and narrowly avoided the second. "Could you imagine if I hadn't been human? I mean, how much faster I would be?"

Sesshomaru paused. "You're adequate."

As the daiyokai resumed his onslaught, Kohaku grunted. "Yes, but demons are much harder to kill."

"And yet you make your living from it," he countered.

Kohaku stifled a groan. Sesshomaru wasn't making this easy. Big surprise.

"I'm just noting," the taijiya said, parrying another swing from Tenseiga, "that I think unions with sturdier creatures – say, yo—"

"You're talking too much. Pay attention." A band of energy snaked around Kohaku's heels, knocking him off his feet in the next second.

_Kichiruka…watch your step with him. _

oOo

Kichiruka woke to the sound of soft mewing on his chest. _Kilala?_ No, he was in the ocean. Sapphire eyes fluttered open.

"Hi, Gari," he greeted.

The snail on his chest meowed in return. Gently setting his odd pet back on a vine of kelp, Kichiruka rolled out of bed. He took all of yesterday along with the remainder of the day previous to rest and now, undoing his bandages, the majority of the gashes had turned to small, shiny scars and the worst of the damage was a simple welt. There wouldn't be a trace of any of them by tomorrow. Kichiruka flexed his arm. A little sore, but all in working order. Being a demon meant you could take a beating and still make it out in one piece.

_Going to miss immortality if all goes well_. Kichiruka half-smiled at the irony.

There was a light rapping on the hull. "Delivery for Kichiruka of Lord Ichikawa's court!" a low voice hollered.

_It must be the new uniform!_ Excitedly, Kichiruka tugged on his usual clothes, then poked his head outside. " 'Morning!"

"More like afternoon!" the shark-demon circling outside said, coupled with a chuckle. Like most of the underwater population he had a shape-twisted form and carried the order in one arm. Swimming up to Kichiruka he turned it over. A dark blue robe with triangular patterns wrapped around sea-green garments. "Congrats," the delivery yokai said with a smile. "Your teacher doesn't seem much into giving them himself."

Kichiruka laughed. "Yeah, but Master Tensai would point out that the celebration is in receiving the honor itself."

The shark nodded amiably. Then sidled close and whispered low, "So is it true?"

Blue eyes blinked owlishly. "Is what?"

"That Ichikawa worked you up to pairing off with Sesshomaru's human?"

"Huh? Worked me up to? No! Not in the least!" Kichiruka nearly dropped his order.

The demon paled. "So then who blackmailed you into the short-life? I mean, we all like you, Kichiruka. You're cool. And I know you're a gutsy guy, but a human? Who'd do that even on a dare? Much less an order."

"No one's blackmailing anyone here," Kichiruka huffed. "I chose Rin because I love her."

All coloring drained from the shark's sharp face. "You mean…? You willingly…?" He had to pause to breathe. "Damn, I thought Ichikawa was weird. That's _sick_, man." He shook his head. "And Tensai still promoted you?"

"Yes, but what's that got to do with…?"

"I guess he had no choice if it came from Ichikawa's say so."

"I worked hard for that exam!"

"Whoa, whoa, chill the yoki there."

Seeing the shark tread water backwards, Kichiruka recalled himself. "Please excuse me," he managed politely through gritted teeth. "I'm certain you have other stops to make and I will detain you no further. Thank you for dropping this off." Bowing curtly, the dolphin pardoned himself and returned inside without another word.

Alone again, Kichiruka set aside the new clothes and drifted to one extremity of the hull. Turning, his yoki propelled him to the other side. And back again. He paced restlessly, mulling over the situation.

Of course the concerns of the other yokai were valid. It made sense that there would still be suspicion that Ichikawa 'worked him up' as it were. And if one subject could be moved like a game piece it was reasonable that other, more influential, court members may wonder if they would be next, forced into compromises they found distasteful. Or taboo.

Then again, the situation is unique. Not too many yokai lords had marriageable, _human_ wards either. And everyone already accepted that Kichiruka was an outlier, there weren't any other dolphin yokai in Ichikawa's domain. _Or much anywhere else. _With all of Ichikawa's other eccentricities, what did they have to worry about? Whatever the outcome Kichiruka still had someone of influence on his side. And that was good enough, wasn't it?

But what if that favor was lost with Sesshomaru's rejection? Then what happened when you had no advocate? When you were alone?

Tensai came to mind and Kichiruka fidgeted. He got up. He needed something to do. Right now. He needed to step out. But his introduction to Sesshomaru was tomorrow, so was that such a good idea?

_Rin_.

Kichiruka took one moment to change clothes. Then closed his eyes and pictured the brook.

oOo

"Hi, Kohaku!" Kagome greeted brightly as she "ran into" the taijiya on her way out to gather some herbal supplies. She spotted his coach. "Brother-in-law!"

Sesshomaru suppressed a shudder. He frowned in the general direction of Inuyasha's wench.

Kagome continued as if he had offered her the sunniest hello of the day. "It's nice to see you around once in a while."

_It's all too frequent_. Sesshomaru snorted. "I was just leaving. Jaken," he called for his retainer.

Ignoring Kohaku's wide-eyed warning, Kagome stepped up to take her shot at giving Rin's guardian a clue before the opportunity was lost. "You know, yokai – especially silver-maned gentlemen – have such otherworldly charm."

Sesshomaru blinked slowly. "I don't think Inuyasha would share."

Kagome gaped at him a minute. Well, she hadn't expected Sesshomaru to come from _that_ angle.

Seizing his chance from the flabbergast miko, Sesshomaru quickly sidestepped her and hurried on his way.

_That's one way to shut her up._

He would have to be back here in a few days for Rin and…whomever. The daiyokai could only handle so many humans in a week and it seemed just a little unfair to arrive with patience eroded by the time he met with Rin and her selection.

oOo

There was a slight creak and splintering of wood and Inuyasha swiveled an ear toward the commotion, but he didn't open his eyes. At least not until he heard a string of shingles go clattering off the roof. He sighed and got up.

"Need a hand, vapor brain?"

Kichiruka grunted and managed to find a foothold. "Nah. I – ngh – got it." Water demons were not meant for scaling rooftops. "Oof!" He flopped aboard. "'Kay. I'm good."

Golden eyes rolled toward the overcast sky. "So what brings you here?"

"Rin wasn't at our usual meeting place," he said simply.

Inuyasha snorted. "I meant, why today? Don't'cha hafta see Sesshomaru t'morrow?"

"Exactly." Kichiruka laughed a little. "I want to see Rin just once more in an informal setting." He chuckled and raked a hand through his unbound hair.

"Tryin' t' be a copycat?" Inuyasha smirked the straight and stiff mane of his visitor.

Kichiruka tossed the length of his hair down his back. "I noticed Rin likes it down."

"Huh."

"What's the matter? You don't feel special anymore?" Kichiruka teased.

Inuyasha snorted. "Get in line, pal. You're not the only one with a 'do like that around here."

Kichiruka chuckled, but this time his laughter held a note of unease.

At length Inuyasha spoke again. His eyes still closed. "You really like her, huh?"

"I think she's my…One."

"One?"

"Yes, you know, the one person you love. I've been told you can only fall in love once."

Inuyasha snorted. "I don't believe that."

"Really? I wonder…"

"I think you can love more than one person." Inuyasha shifted his weight. "Like say if the first person you love dies."

Kichiruka nodded. "I thought about that. On one hand, if you really loved them, then that's that. Anyone else you seek out afterward is for companionship, but you never love them the way you did the first person."

"That's stupid." Inuyasha knew he loved Kagome.

"Well, the person who told me so said his species isn't inclined to company away. Then he hit me." Kichiruka automatically rubbed the usually sore spot on his head. "I also asked, how do you know you loved them? Say if it was merely an infatuation and you didn't fall in love until after the fact."

Inuyasha harrumphed. As if the clouds beamed harsh sunlight, the half-demon kept his eyes closed and a tight frown on his face. He stood quiet long enough to make Kichiruka wonder if he had forgotten their conversation altogether. "…I thought she had betrayed me."

"You didn't trust her enough?"

"Well, no, it's not that. Hey, are you saying I didn't love Kikyo?"

Kichiruka tilted his head to one side. "Kikyo, huh?...No, but I don't think love and trust are mutually exclusive either. If anything it seems that you are more mature in your relationship with Kagome."

"Inuyasha, what really kept you returning to the first woman?"

Guilt. Regret. Loyalty. "Vapor brain, why don't you take your philosophic-psycho shit elsewhere?"

"Sorry. Just trying to consider a few things myself."

"Okay, not to put any bad mojo on your meeting with Sesshomaru, but for a bit of reality here, what if it doesn't go all hunky-dory like you expect?"

"I don't expect." Kichiruka watched as the dryness of his response raised white dog ears. "I would give anything to receive the Western Lord's approbation, but if he refuses it, if it comes to jeopardize Rin's happiness and someone she recognizes as family…" He intently studied the roof shingles. "I will go."

Inuyasha blinked. "No shit?"

"Love might not be something you think about, but everything else around it sure is." Kichiruka looked Inuyasha square in the eye. "You understand that even though you may deeply cherish someone you aren't the only one who does, right?"

"Yeah." The sight of Kagome's family flashed through his mind. Sometimes he wondered if they still missed her. She always assured it was okay.

But for those three uncertain years, time had kept him and Kagome apart. Although he was no stranger to rejection he couldn't fathom the blow it would've been to have been turned away by Kagome's family. Even before he gave up trying to even like Sesshomaru, Inuyasha came to terms that there wouldn't be anyone else on his father's side who would welcome him. There wasn't anyone there. To be kept apart from someone who was…_Frickin' screwed up_. "Maybe you'll get lucky and my heartless-assed brother will disown her."

Kichiruka gave Inuyasha a mortified look. "Don't even joke like that!"

Inuyasha stared straight ahead.

"You're serious?"

"I dunno. He's pretty protective of her, so on second thought…no." Inuyasha sat up. And in awkward, jerky motions patted Kichiruka's shoulder. "From what I've been hearing everyone's tryin' to do their part to warm Sesshomaru up to the idea."

"Really?"

The hanyo shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's what I've been hearing." There was no report on Sesshomaru's reaction other than a weak smile or nod among Kagome and the others.

Kichiruka nodded. "Is Rin around?"

"Yeah, I think I just heard Kagome tell 'er to get some water. She's prob'ly around the corner by the storage—" Inuyasha stared at where Kichiruka had sat just a second ago. "…Barrel," he completed.

_Well, it was at least his vanishing act is impressive. _

oOo

Rin stepped outside, opening the lid to a water barrel. And Kichiruka surged out to kiss her hello. He laughed when she squeaked in surprise.

Rin stopped herself in mid-swing from clobbering him with the bucket she brought. "What are you doing here?"

"Saying hi," he said, eyes shining bright and hands dangling lazily over the rim of the barrel.

Rin recovered. Though a little more tersely than she intended. "You're contaminating our water supply."

Kichiruka rolled his eyes and hopped out of the barrel. He tapped the conch staff to its rim. Rin gawked at the water inside. The surface practically sparkled, looking as clear as fresh spring water.

"Something new?"

"Nah, I've been able to do that for a while. But look…" He spread his arms and postured with his new uniform. Then realized he was still dripping water all over the veranda. Clapping his hands together, Kichiruka quickly dried himself, cleared his throat, and resumed the stance. "Ta-da!"

Rin giggled, tugging at the dark blue background around one triangle. "Nicely done. Promotional exams?"

"Graduate," Kichiruka preened.

"Congratulations!" She hugged him tightly, squeezing a fountain of happy laughter out of him. "So now what does this mean?"

"Not sure yet, but it gives me something of a respectable title."

Rin giggled. "With that look?" She pointed at Kichiruka's head. "Your hair's getting frizzy."

Kichiruka pouted. "I thought you liked it unbound."

"Depending on the weather." She reached for the comb in her hair. And couldn't feel it.

Kichiruka saw Rin's eyes widen. He knew exactly what was missing. Rin wore three accessories at all times: the sword, her earrings, and the ivory comb. "Did you drop it somewhere?"

"I was at the brook yesterday, but…" She couldn't remember taking it out. The brush Rin used for her hair and the ornamental comb were two different things. How could she have forgotten it?

"I can go get it." Kichiruka remembered it was a gift from Sesshomaru. It must have meant a lot to Rin. "I didn't notice anything the first time, but may it's there."

Concern furrowed Rin's brow for a moment. "Don't worry about it. I think it's probably in my room."

"You sure?"

She nodded.

Kichiruka shrugged and reached for the tie he kept under his shirt collar. Rin watched with quite fascination as the sections of silver hair and fanned out behind him like a dorsal fin, each separating as though of its own volition.

"How do you do that? Demon power?"

"Do what?"

Rin shook her head. "Never mind." Crossing her arms, she leaned against the porch's wooden posts and looked off toward the rice fields.

Kichiruka joined her, but he was just a little less relaxed, fingers drumming eagerly. The wind whipped up, pushing heavy, gray thunderheads closer. "It's going to rain soon," he announced with a grin.

Rin looked his way. For a moment the pupils in his eyes disappeared and he looked blind. The energy that radiated off of him raised the hairs at the nape of Rin's neck. She knew most yokai had direct ties to nature – Inuyasha's own strength waning with the vanishing moon every month was one example. She hadn't quite considered Kichiruka's being bolstered with the weather. She inched near him and felt a little shock when she covered his hand with hers. He smiled and Rin doubted the following tingle had as much to do with Kichiruka being yokai as it did with being male.

Feeling Rin shiver next to him, Kichiruka laughed. "Sorry there. It's just kind of exciting for my kind."

Rin laughed. "Don't worry. I get it."

_Doesn't she always?_ Kichiruka smiled. "Anyway, weren't you out here for something first? Um, water?"

"Right," Rin agreed vaguely, looking at the still empty bucket in her hands.

Neither of them moved.

_Oh, whatever_. Rin dropped the bucket and rushed Kichiruka for a kiss.

He gasped. Between Rin and the sweet scent of rain he could feel his senses going into overdrive and mental faculties shutting down. She molded so perfectly against him.

Kagome poked her head outside to see what had happened to her young friend. There wasn't going to be any tea without any water to boil. And the priestess quickly stepped back inside.

From where he lay sprawled, Inuyasha snorted. He'd come in through the window earlier. "From what I can smell, he's practically raping her except she's enjoying it."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome waved a hand at him.

Kichiruka tried slowing himself. He just got his clothes yesterday, he couldn't soil them now. And the discussion with the messenger flickered in his mind again.

_"That's sick…"_

Rin felt the moment Kichiruka stopped moving altogether, then gently withdraw. "Something wrong?"

Kichiruka smiled, but Rin knew better than to look there. His eyes had faded to cornflower like they used to whenever she tripped up on a subject he couldn't cope.

"You're worried?"

"No…yes…" He sighed hopelessly. "I'm nervous."

Rin laughed. "Strange coming from someone who sure acted like he knew what he was doing a second ago." Kichiruka kept quiet. He smirked mirthlessly. Rin tugged on a silver bang and guided him to look at her. "Why don't you come on inside for tea?"

He slipped into her arms and simply, sweetly kissed her.

oOo

"Why are we here, m'lord?" Jaken waited for answer, despondently aware that no reply would come.

It was afternoon when Sesshomaru walked past his usual training grounds for Rin, but he was still a whole day too early. He wasn't scheduled to be here until tomorrow, but smell of rain made him tighten his perimeters closer to Rin's village. Today he was passing through the outskirts, tracing along the little river that bordered the town's fringes. He took another step, and immediately retraced it when the toe of his boot tapped something too flat and fine to be a stone.

_Rin's comb. _

Sesshomaru stooped and picked it up. There was slight wear around the ivory edges, one of the teeth was missing and the tip of a carved petal was chipped. Rin used it often. He could easily hand it over to Jaken, have him ferry it back, but there was something more personal to this one item.

"Tch, careless girl," the imp glowered in his master's stead. "How dare she treat your gifts with such disregard. It just goes to show—"

"Jaken."

"Y-yes?"

"Go ahead and find Rin. Tell her I'm on my way." He stated it in a manner that growled for no additional questions.

"Can't we just tell her to come here?" Jaken clapped his tiny claws over his beak a second too late.

"It may rain," Sesshomaru observed. Without waiting for further objection or inquiry, the dog-demon's boot gave Jaken no less than half a mile's head start.

Resuming his own leisurely pace, Sesshomaru continued on his own way toward the village, free of nuisance. Or at least it was until he reached the hillock.

With the clatter of ill gained wears and whisper of questionably acquired rice bales, a large cart pulled by two stocky stallions clamored in front of the daiyokai. Sesshomaru restrained himself from tossing the contraption aside like a small stone in his path. Pity that he knew the driver well enough.

"What is it, monk?"

Miroku flashed a winsome smile, turning on his charm. Some would say the efforts were wasted on one such as Sesshomaru – but they didn't know Miroku either. "It's not the most agreeable of weather today, but how fortuitous to find a familiar face to warm the coming winter months."

Sesshomaru glanced at the overloaded vehicle. The monk must have charged extra for the "disagreeable weather." Then he stared at the road ahead that Miroku's cart was so conveniently blocking.

Unperturbed by the demon's characteristic silence, the monk filled in the blanks for him as opposed to acting like Sesshomaru had already spoken. "I'm sure things are going well for yourself, if I may so assume? You're here to visit our young Rin, no?"

"The action of which is presently hindered," Sesshomaru tautly remarked.

"Care for a ride?" Miroku offered.

Sesshomaru circumvented the obstacle and continued walking. Clucking his tongue, Miroku got his horses to match the pace.

"Business has been good these days," he said cheerfully.

Sesshomaru made no comment. For shame he couldn't exactly punt the monk and his load back to their home as he had Jaken toward the village. The daiyokai huffed softly. With half an ear the dog-demon endured the white noise of chatter until he realized he was being directly addressed. He looked at the monk.

Miroku's eyes danced like they were in on some private joke, but when his voice came out it was steady, calm, and serious. "I'm sure a man of your stature understands the importance of consolidating his holdings."

"And what business is that of yours?"

"Certainly be best in civility is expected in an ally. Wouldn't you say it's the same as looking for a good suitor? After all, you do presently have a fine asset on your hands and she's been of marrying age for some time now."

Sesshomaru's yoki flared and the horses pulling Miroku's cart whinnied. When he had them calmed again he realized Sesshomaru had already gone.

_Rin, m'love, you're on your own. _

oOo

Sesshomaru knocked softly on the post of Rin's door. And was instead greeted by the small fox-child. He waited calmly for an explanation.

" 'Scuse me, Lord Sessho…maru?" Shippo stepped forward. Just tell him. Just make it sound nice and pleasant. It is good news…If you're not Sesshomaru. "I…um…would…wanted…to say…"

The daiyokai tilted his head and advanced one step.

Shippo's nerve broke. The little fox took off screaming in the opposite direction.

Sesshomaru yawned.

oOo

Sifting through the heady smells of damp earth and dark skies, Sesshomaru tracked Rin's scent, trying push aside all other interference. _Inuyasha's house?_ Suppressing his own reluctance, Sesshomaru strolled onward. Naturally, Rin wouldn't want to be alone on cold, dreary days like these; humans, he had learned, were very much pack creatures.

His little brother's motley group came to mind. They had been acting quite strangely during the past few encounters. He'd never heard Shippo try to speak so many words to him before. Normally, he wouldn't give their idle chatter a second thought, but reviewing all the conversations in his mind they all seemed to drift toward different subjects, and yet their underlying motivations remained similar. There was almost a uniformity to the way they were attempting to approach the dog-demon. _As if they were all afraid to touch a boil._ He snorted.

_There's something that I'm missing._ It did nothing for Sesshomaru's whittling patience that they had him going through a guessing game now. Damn, he just wished someone would tell him flat out what the hell was going on.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken skidded to a stop before the daiyokai. "Rin is sporting with a demon!"

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading. Reviews are most appreciated. I'm off to midterms now. _


	44. Shot in the Barrel

_A/N: I wanted to post over the weekend, but was much consumed in the revelry (and slight remorse) of leaving my teenage years behind. On with the show!_

**Shot in the Barrel**

Sesshomaru had to hear it twice before he even considered believing what his retainer blathered. "Repeat."

"Rin is sporting with a demon."

"Demon…" Sesshomaru never knew his own race could sound like such a foreign word in his mouth. "Demon." His first impulse was to strike Jaken. It was as slanderous as it was absurd. He looked at the chipped ivory comb in his hand. _Rin_. It couldn't be true.

Sesshomaru glanced at the imp. Jaken fidgeted, tiny claws scrabbling at the Staff of Two Heads. Did his lordship truly not believe him? Jaken proceeded to unload the rest of his information. "He's a lad yet, m'lord. But he had no aura of a greater yokai. He's common, that's sure enough. Ah, m'lord?"

Setting a brisk gait, Sesshomaru stalked toward the village. No orders, no oaths, not a single utterance offered on this latest revelation. Dead silence.

Jaken gulped. The information was so disturbing he had felt compelled to share it immediately. He hadn't exactly thought about Sesshomaru's reaction. Or what it might do to Rin's own safety. "M'lord?"

Steel-plated boots didn't slow their pace. "Jaken, you are not lying to me?"

"Wha…? Never!" he declared indignantly.

Sesshomaru strode faster.

Jaken's face fell. Maybe he should've reconsidered the knee-jerk response. Hustling, the little yokai hitched a ride on the tail of his lord's mane. It looked suspiciously like a supplication. "What do you plan to do?"

"The practical option." Claws cracked.

"I-It's not Rin's fault."

Sesshomaru paused long enough to give his vassal a flat look. For the same split second, the dog-demon vaguely wondered if he was responsible for unwittingly cultivating such a preference in his charge. Impossible, she grew up with enough humans. "We're going to remedy the situation."

"Kill him?" A tremor started in Jaken's spine. While it was an efficient solution there was a singular flaw to it. What about Rin? The silly girl had the sentiment to cry over dead pets when she was small and Jaken didn't think the proclivity had worn away so quickly. Lord Sesshomaru's pragmatism rarely considered the emotional investments of others. "Is that necessary?" he asked in a vain attempt to dissuade his master. "You know what they say – ten people, ten colors."

"This is a _perversion_, not a preference," Sesshomaru snarled, his voice grating toward inhuman octaves, and Jaken felt the fur under him bristle.

"Yes, but…well, isn't it better than another mortal to have to claim association?"

Thrashing like a live snake, Sesshomaru's furred train abruptly flung off its hitchhiker. Jaken landed on his head. For a little demon it did no good to have a big mouth.

oOo

"You're very fortunate," Kichiruka murmured into soft, raven black hair. "No matter where you go, you'll have some place to come back to."

"Yokai that wish for domesticity?" Rin blinked.

Kichiruka pulled back and saw the blank stare. And quickly looked the other way. He laughed gruffly. "Yeah, it's kind of twisted, I know."

Rin frowned. "I was going to say cute."

The spots on Kichiruka's face crinkled with his faint smile. "You think?"

Kagome suddenly burst out of the house, a panicked expression distorting her features. Kichiruka reached for the conch staff. "Something wrong, Lady Ka…" Before he could complete his sentence, a chill raced up the water demon's spine. Whatever it was that set the priestess on edge was drawing closer at a fast and steady rate.

Inuyasha was at her side in an instant. His nose wrinkling with several quick sniffs, but by then the approaching daiyokai was in plain sight, silver hair bright even in the gray afternoon. Sesshomaru stopped some ways in front of his half-brother's veranda. A cold rush of wind cued him in to the unease his untimely arrival had created, Rin's startled scent, and the salty smell of ocean beside her. Sesshomaru's nostrils flared. He recognized that trace from the brook. And there before him stood the subject.

_A demon. _

Of all the times Jaken had given a credible report. Golden eyes focused the ridiculous looking yokai beside Rin. Steel-silver hair spiked like fins and even the rest that was drawn back in a topknot stood on end. The demon's clothes made slightly more sense. Though none had ever formally enter the Dog General's retinue, Sesshomaru knew that certain patterns designated a spellcaster. Did he hold some sort of rank? It didn't matter. Even from his distance Sesshomaru could sense the other demon's status. _He's common, indeed_.

"Rin, I thought you said he was coming tomorrow," Kagome breathed, rubbing her hands along her arms. Sesshomaru stood rigid, but there was a vibration to him like a struck tuning fork. The miko pulled closer to Inuyasha.

Rin swallowed. _But why should I feel afraid?_ So Sesshomaru had shown up a day earlier. Was there anything wrong with that? His reaction wouldn't have varied much more, right? Rin glanced to her left. Kichiruka just stood there. He hadn't moved, yet suddenly, the air around him swam. If Rin had had Kagome's power she bet she could have seen it. She could already feel it. His energy crawled over her skin like ants on the march.

She looked back at Sesshomaru. A sharp edge of power spread out like an iron fan, prickling along Rin's skin. Like a sharp reprimand, his aura was much more forceful than Kichiruka's. _Damn. One demon at a time._ "Good afternoon, Lord Sesshomaru," she managed in a voice that came out hoarse. "…Weren't expecting you 'til tomorrow."

"You dropped this." His voice was mild. Its most dangerous tone. But Sesshomaru held Rin's comb up between two fingers and kept his other hand lower at his side.

"How careless." Lowering her eyes respectfully, Rin moved forward to collect the comb. Sesshomaru handed it over. And in a single bound closed the open distance between himself and Kichiruka.

Hot as lightening and just as uncomfortable, Sesshomaru pounced within two steps' striking range of the water demon. At this proximity, he reeked of sea salt. So this was the prawn that he had caught hints of back at the brook. And how long ago was that? A season? Two? It mattered little when Sesshomaru could eviscerate him on the spot. The muscles in his arm bunched. But the claws wavered.

His grip on Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha shoved himself in front of his friend, promising Sesshomaru that with the next step the daiyokai would be caught in his cross-draw.

Sesshomaru maintained his distance for whatever good that did. Inuyasha could feel the sweat beading on his brow. The bastard was truly pissed.

"Out of my way, _little_ brother," Sesshomaru growled.

"Why?" the hanyo challenged. "If you got something t' say we can all hear you just fine. And there's no one here you need to lay a hand on."

"I want to _see_ him."

Kichiruka cringed. Sesshomaru said "see" much in the same way he himself used it – touch. Probably in this case more violently than the water demon would've liked. Amber eyes glared over Inuyasha's shoulder, and Kichiruka shifted his gaze elsewhere. And found more stares.

Here and there, heads poked out of windows and turned to lean out of thresholds. The impending rain and ferocity of Sesshomaru's yoki didn't ward off curiosity. The locals stopped and gawked at the standoff. Apparently, the water demon they had come to know over the summer had no connection to Lord Sesshomaru. Unless it was a falling out. One man leaned over and whispered to his neighbor. Maybe he really wanted the girl to have a human spouse? How could he not know? He wants her for his own. A hundred rumors spawned in as many seconds.

"Why don't we take this indoors?" Kagome suggested.

Three sets of eyes glared at her. Then, all the way in the back, a soft voice piped, "Good idea."

"Thank you, Kichiruka," Kagome beamed.

Sesshomaru's lip curled. It had a name. The daiyokai didn't budge.

"Please?" Rin stood at the porch steps, face upturned and eyes pleading. "You said…"

"On the condition he was human."

Finding her courage in the anger and umbrage on Kichiruka's behalf, Rin retorted in a clear and strong voice. "That was _never_ established."

"It was implicit," Sesshomaru clipped. "Like is meant for like, and Rin, you are not a demon any more than _that_ is a human."

Rin backed up a bit. The intense desire to kill radiated off of Sesshomaru in a way that had nearly dimmed from memory. In retrospect, if he hadn't been paralyzed Rin wondered if Sesshomaru would have hesitated to kill her. But he hadn't. Nor any of the succeeding days. He still came back and revived her. Back then, Rin believed he had a sense of civility and compassion. She didn't doubt it growing up under his vigilance and she didn't now. Not when the objective was to keep any harm from befalling the other demon she held dear.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I have rarely asked for anything of you, but this is one request I would like honored." The daiyokai weighed a glare on Rin, but she held his gaze and her ground.

Easing back on his heels, Sesshomaru asked his charge, "Who is this stranger you're protecting?"

"He's Kichiruka. A water demon. And…"

"Thank you, Rin d—uh, thanks. But I can speak for myself." Kichiruka inched closer. He didn't like hiding behind his friends and it wouldn't do have Sesshomaru think him a coward. He shuffled another step, trusting Inuyasha to intervene and the Western Lord not to strike. Master Tensai did often complain he was very naïve. "Pleased to meet you, Lord Sesshomaru. I am Kichiruka of Lord Ichikawa near Mikan. Please be favorable to me." Never had the water demon meant the traditional greeting with more sincerity than at that moment.

"You are from the ocean," Sesshomaru acknowledged with a pointed sniff. A fine patter of rain started. "How long have you been here?"

"About an hour." Amber eyes narrowed and Kichiruka decided that perhaps levity was not the way to go with Sesshomaru. So much for favor. "I got lost back in spring and Rin helped me out." No need to relate the humbling circumstances.

"What business and interest have you with a human?"

A second set of amber eyes rolled heavenward. "Geez, Sesshomaru, you gonna just cross-examine the poor guy or—"

"Silence, Inuyasha."

"It's a valid question," Kichiruka said with a shrug. "I've never seen humans up-close before."

"But you tarried and returned."

_She was cute_. Kichiruka bit his tongue. And knew the spreading smile betrayed him.

_A carnal fondness for humans_. With barely contained ire, crimson flashed across gold. "_Pervert_."

The grin was ripped clean off of Kichiruka's face.

Rin moved up another step so she was standing on the veranda with everyone else. "Lord Sesshomaru, is it so terrible that he's yokai?"

"He should be keeping to his own." A tic jumped in Sesshomaru's jaw. "Unless there's an ulterior motive to be had."

Kagome immediately saw where the dog-demon was going with this. There was a certain amount of prestige that came with ties to the Lord of the West. "What demon is going to think that a human girl had any connection to you, Lord Sesshomaru?" she offered.

Ignoring the point, Sesshomaru pressed, "Your overlord is Ichikawa near Mikan. Is this not true?"

"That's correct."

A hard frown creased the dog-demon's jaw. "That particular region has sought the Western Lord's favor for over two hundred years since the Mainland Invasion. If you have any standing with the local lord, how could you not know of this Sesshomaru's line?" He watched Kichiruka's eyes dart to the floor as if the correct answer were written on the planks. The prawn was taking too long to reply. "You are lying to me," Sesshomaru pronounced. "Your intention is an alliance."

"N-no! Only your approval, Lord Sesshomaru!" The water demon desperately wished he had never gotten mixed up as Ichikawa's bargaining chip.

"A good vassal reflects his lord's desires. And you belong to Ichikawa, no?"

"I belong to no one," Kichiruka declared.

Sesshomaru stared at him. Face bland, voice conversational, he inquired, "You do not acknowledge Ichikawa's leadership?"

Inuyasha's ears flattened. He hated that tone in his brother's voice. It was a loaded question, and they all knew it.

"What happens if he says no?" Rin asked.

Sesshomaru didn't glance at her. "He says no."

"And you leak it to his overlord, then what?" Inuyasha demanded, very nearly accusing.

The daiyokai smiled, a slow curve of lips that left his golden eyes gleaming.

"Ichikawa would see it as a direct challenge to his authority," Kichiruka answered. "He has a high tolerance for many things, but that isn't one of them."

Rin looked from one demon to the other. "Lord Sesshomaru, if you have Kichiruka killed, even indirectly…"

The fine drizzle from earlier now beat to a rapid tempo. Heavy drops pelted the rooftop and sharp claws thrummed in time along Bakusaiga's hilt. "This farce has gone on long enough." Without further warning, Sesshomaru batted his brother aside and, talons outstretched, blurred toward Kichiruka.

.

_A/N: I apologize for the brevity of this chapter, but for compensation will update by next week. Right now there's a grindstone on line one for me. It's requesting my nose. Thank you for reading! _

_Character stats comparison: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d38z3ji (Please remove spaces first.)_


	45. Jaws

_A/N: And here we have one year of _Hooked_. This fanfiction was originally set to debut on Valentine's Day last year, but…well, it was delayed for reasons little different than the ones going on now. Thank you all very much for reading and being very patient with my slow updates (but, hey, the story's still going!)._

_A/N: Apparently, this chapter's title is the most popular name for goldfish in the U.K. Ah, and I offer a nod to a certain famous poem…and a cutesy song. _

**Jaws**

Kichiruka had but half a heartbeat to react. Were it not for Inuyasha he would have had none. After swatting the hanyo aside, claws glowed a sinister green as they sped for Kichiruka. Staggering back, he grasped the rim of the barrel behind him. His fingertips grazed the water inside. Without another thought, he vaulted in. Kichiruka had only one destination in mind. _Away_.

His footing, when he regained it, slipped and Kichiruka splashed to his knees. In mud. How'd he make it to land? Blue eyes looked up to the gray sky and smiled at the rain.

Water. Water everywhere! Kichiruka heaved a sigh of relief. Normally, he would have to be completely submerged to teleport anywhere, but the heavy rain was part of the atmosphere. Just as good. One man's dismal day was Kichiruka's saving grace.

_Almost_.

Sesshomaru whirled to where the water demon reappeared. How did he miss his target? Doppelgangers? Or some other magic? Either way, the coward had run. Thinning lips pulled back over hard, white teeth. That prawn wouldn't repeat it.

"Lord Sesshomaru, don't!"

The daiyokai looked down. He hadn't felt it, but Rin tugged on his sleeve. Some futile attempt to dissuade him? Sesshomaru gave her a flat look.

Rin cringed. She knew that expression. _His mind's made up. _

"Hey! Bastard!" Inuyasha barked from behind his brother, Steel Fang in hand. "If it's that hard for you to be decent, I'll hafta –"

A jet stream of water pushed the Tetsusaiga off target. Inuyasha swore and Kichiruka stood posturing with his conch staff.

"Moron! What the hell? I'm tryin' t' protect your stupid ass!" Inuyasha blustered, swinging his sword arm in the direction of their aura-pulsing threat.

Kichiruka nodded, a withering smile in his eyes. "I appreciate it, Inuyasha, really. But I'd rather handle Lord Sesshomaru on my own." The water demon readied his staff. It felt like holding a twig against an ogre. There was only so much you could hope for, but the outcome was obvious. _But maybe it'll be like Kohaku said, _Kichiruka hoped. He remembered the taijiya remarking on Sesshomaru's respect for strength and tenacity. _Maybe if I can stick it out long enough he'll recognize me as a worthy match for Rin._ "Come then, Lord Sesshomaru! I've got fight in me!"

Despite the water demon's bold declaration there was no change in the daiyokai's expression. Kichiruka just made his job faster.

"Don't you see, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru said, his eyes never leaving Rin. "The little fool wants to die. A prawn's value is only after it is skewered." Cat-stepping from the porch, Sesshomaru unleashed his energy whip. Kichiruka spared the second to bat it away. That was his mistake.

Sesshomaru leapt over the water demon's lowered defenses. As greater yokai, he was much faster than anything Kichiruka had ever encountered and, on land, Kichiruka knew he was slower, razor-edged reality grazing him as he barely teleported away from Sesshomaru's next strike.

"Damn idiot," Inuyasha growled. He since sheathed Tetsusaiga, but his thumb still pushed on the hand guard, readying it for a fast draw. "He's gonna get himself killed."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome admonished, casting a concerned glance Rin's way.

The girl didn't say anything. Her lips soldered shut in watching with rapt attention as Sesshomaru sped toward Kichiruka. She took in a sharp breath as her guardian's "prey" evaded him once more. _He has Kich' completely on the defensive._

Kichiruka danced backward, trying to lead the dog-demon from Rin's village. If Sesshomaru knew his own strength and if he cared anything for his ward's home, he would follow and spare the village any possible damage. _But he probably thinks he can finish me here without it getting messy. _Kichiruka didn't want to test the theory.

With whatever seconds gleaned from his death-defying dance, Kichiruka riffled through his options. _I don't want to hurt him._ It seemed impossible to even land a blow, but it didn't sit well with Kichiruka if he somehow managed to injure Rin's guardian. _But I've got to stop him in his tracks._ He tried to think back to his last exam with Tensai. If only he could get the dog-demon to calm down a little.

"Get back here, prawn," Sesshomaru snarled when Kichiruka winked out of range again. A clawed hand hesitated over Bakusaiga. Then thought better of it. He wasn't about to crush an ant with a blacksmith's hammer.

Kichiruka reappeared some distance away. "First of all," he called, "I'm _not_ a bottom-feeder."

"A worm, then." Magenta stripes curled up Sesshomaru's wrist.

Kichiruka lightly chuckled. "If that's so, then Rin's a bird."

Sesshomaru paused. He actually appeared bemused. "How's that?"

Kichiruka grinned. "If my segments get separated, I'll scream and she'll be there."

A low growl rumbled in the dog-demon's throat. Kichiruka gulped. Humor had won him friends before, but it was getting clearer there was nothing to be had with Sesshomaru. Any chance that the dog-demon could be diverted with a little jesting was definitely out of the question.

Sesshomaru huffed. He would not be mocked. The daiyokai lashed a band of poison laced energy at him, but Kichiruka already vanished into the rain. Weather normally didn't bother Sesshomaru, but being soggy from pelt to boot did nothing for his mood. And the drenched silks were somewhat hampering his movement. He should've had that that prawn by now. Sesshomaru frowned. There was one solution to this pest's magic tricks. Pivoting on his toes, Sesshomaru spun faster and faster, the ribbon of his yoki bright and lengthening around him until he was surrounded in a perfect and lethal barrier. When Kichiruka reappeared, the dog-demon unfurled his whip. _There_.

Kichiruka yelped. His conch deflected the first lash, but the whip ricocheted and licked at his jaw. There was a sizzled as it burned across his cheek.

_Too close!_ Kichiruka ground his teeth. Sesshomaru was going to figure him out one way or another and the lesser yokai could already guess whose stamina would wear out first. _All right. Let's fight. _

Issuing the necessary syllables, Kichiruka froze the rain in midair, freezing them to small icicles. Waving his conch staff, he directed the icy shrapnel at Sesshomaru.

Amber eyes marginally widened at the presumption to strike. Then in a single, strong flare of his aura, the ice melted back to the rain.

"Is that all, prawn?"

Kichiruka gulped. Well, that just took out a few of his best moves. He aimed a torrent of water a Sesshomaru. Who easily sidestepped it. Damn, he really didn't want to do this. Kichiruka sighed. "Please, Lord Sesshomaru, won't you hear me out?" The pounding downpour subsided to a fine drizzle.

The same could not be said for the daiyokai's temper. Talons cracking before him, Sesshomaru answered Kichiruka's question. And charged forward.

Seeking refuge in the last drops of rain, Kichiruka teleported – only he didn't go much of anywhere this time. _I could've jumped farther. _

And that mistake left him perfectly his Sesshomaru's range. In an instant, claws were at his throat. Tossing the water demon like a toy, Sesshomaru threw him to the ground. Raw flesh was revealed where toxic claws had touched. Kichiruka's head smacked the earth after his shoulders made impact, which was the only thing that had saved him from passing out. He ended up sprawled on his back, a vulnerable position were it not for the conch staff in his hand by instinct. The strength in that one violent movement left his gut hollow with fear. He tenderly fingered his throat and pain zinged through him. This encounter with Sesshomaru was a struggle on two fronts; it was one thing to battle a daiyokai, but time and again Kichiruka had to fight down the urge to teleport himself out of there. He was surrounded by rain puddles. It would have been so easy, too.

"Kich'!"

_Rin_. Whispering a water spell, Kichiruka called up the nearest puddle. He was planning to move it closer so he could move out of the way, like diving into a rabbit's hole. But, naturally, that wasn't what happened. And Sesshomaru got there first.

Plunging into the knee-deep puddle, the Lord of the West slipped. There was a loud splash and squelch that would've been satisfying if you were eight. But Sesshomaru was well over eight hundred. Muddied fur and silks disgraced his stately image.

Kichiruka smirked. Then paled. _Oh shit_.

Sesshomaru lunged out of the puddle. His pride bruised, if nothing else. Worse, he didn't stand up either. Kichiruka felt a wildfire's scorch – ten times the furnace of Rin's infusion blade – blast his way as Sesshomaru maintained his crouch. A ripple ran through his back like a wave of water driven by wind. In the tumult of mounting yoki, the dog-demon's mane whipped high and Kichiruka could see it was coming less out of his head and more from his spine.

_Damn, damn, damn, damn. _"Lord Sesshomaru, if you'd please listen…"

The corners of Sesshomaru's mouth ripped back to the hinges of his jaw. Blossoming around him, the pink clouds of yoki enfolded the last of Sesshomaru's human-like form. The muzzle that emerged from the tornado of demonic aura was incapable of speech. But the rows of serrated fangs that lined it spoke clearly: _Run, prawn. _Sesshomaru snapped at Kichiruka, just missing his leg and tearing off a dark blue piece of his robe.

Heels over head, Kichiruka tumbled backward in the mud. He had enough time to see the massive paw come down. And feel his fingers dip into a puddle. Close enough.

Scarlet eyes stopped to stare at where the water-demon had just lain strewn. Sesshomaru lifted his paw. Nothing. He sniffed and couldn't find a trace of the sea-salt scent. Strange – he thought only the rain had been what was throwing off his nose.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please!"

Behind him.

In his canine form, Sesshomaru listened even less to the pleas about him. _It's as if he's driven with the singular goal to kill me. _

Jaws chomped and caught a tree instead.

_Or eat me._

Without the rain to rely on, Kichiruka slid into the nearest puddle. But when he poked his head out of the destination – a rice paddy – Sesshomaru's large pink nose was already there. Kichiruka barely avoided being lapped up. He quickly transitioned to the next pond, Sesshomaru followed and they were gradually getting farther from Rin's village. Soon only the brook would be his last resort.

_He's predicting where I'm going to come out next. _Kichiruka sucked in a sharp breath. Sesshomaru's timing was catching up quick.

Kichiruka stood half submerged in another rain puddle. "M'lord! Your audience is all I request."

The dog barked. Then lunged.

Kichiruka spun the staff. He hadn't wished to resort to this extreme. He took aim at Sesshomaru's foreleg.

A keening _yipe!_ escaped the great canine as the leg opposite his mane crumpled beneath him. All the muscles contracted, it felt as if they had shriveled. The pain was near instantaneous, searing through a series of ligaments and nerves.

_Little bastard_. Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to crunch that seashell between his teeth. Preferably with the wielder. He struggled to stand. It had been a while since he'd had only three legs.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kichiruka heard Rin cry. _Damn, she'd followed_. Kichiruka looked at his staff and felt sick for even attempting to –

Sesshomaru's teeth grated like two slabs of granite as they clamped just inches from Kichiruka. Feeling the dog's whiskers at his face and hot breath on his throat, the water demon bolted and backpedaled.

Trying once more to stand, Sesshomaru gave up and resumed his temporary form. Mud matted his fur and stained his clothes. A few smudges smeared across his face where his muzzle had went after the water demon. Sesshomaru glared at Kichiruka, his left arm hanging limp at his side. He would heal within mere hours, but the humiliation was unforgivable. He clicked his claws, but his ear flexed at Rin's approach.

Huffing and puffing, Rin made it to where Kichiruka and Sesshomaru had come to a break in their skirmish. Rin cautiously approached, nervously looking between the demons. She had run off before Inuyasha and Kagome could stop her. And it definitely wasn't that hard to lose track of Sesshomaru.

Kichiruka looked at his paused opponent. _Maybe he's tired out_. Kichiruka sighed. He certainly was. _Did I pass by his standards?_ Now he almost wished he had used dehydration earlier if it would win any points. Smiling, he sagged a little, the conch at rest. "Lord Sesshomaru, have you considered…?"

The lesser demon hacked. There was the vice grip of claws around his throat. And Kichiruka's world reeled.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! With regards to reviews, I always reply to those who login and have their accounts enabled to accept private messages (can't do it otherwise!). Just a reminder, in all reviews please keep your language suitable for a teen audience in accordance with the website's policies lest they be promptly removed. Thank you. _

_Anniversary cartoon: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/art/Hooked-One-Year-Anniversary-198226070 (beware ye spaces in the links)_

_Fanart courtesy of Healing-Touch on Deviantart: healing-touch. deviantart. com/gallery/#/d39kvnj_

_Check out her profile! She also does a fanficition collaboration, "Demon Guns," (an InuYasha Western!) with the highly acclaimed Animaker. _


	46. The Snack that Smiles Back

_A/N: Because I remembered that I labeled this story under comedy as well. And I like giving the audience an unexpected twist. :)_

**The Snack that Smiles Back**

_Goldfish_, Kichiruka thought. That's where he had seen than unsettling shade of amber before. When he had been picking off Rin's suitors, almost all the lords had kept a few alongside the koi in their ponds. The dolphin soon found they were more fun to play with than to eat. If Sesshomaru's hate-filled eyes were going to be the last thing he saw, Kichiruka figured it was nice to associate the color with something pleasant.

Sesshomaru jerked him out of the reverie with a violent shake. The conch staff nearly slipped out of his grasp.

"Lord Sesshomaru!"

_Rin_. Resurfacing, Kichiruka tried to listen for anything else she might say. But he had to stay conscious for that.

"I gave him an offer for last words. He hasn't responded," Sesshomaru said coolly with eerie tranquility. Then added as if in afterthought, "You don't have to watch, Rin."

_Last words?_ Though he couldn't make heads or tails of what she was saying, the girl's spirited cries pushed Kichiruka to stay alert. He cleared his throat. No mean feat when it felt locked in an iron hold. He had to keep one hand on Sesshomaru's wrist to keep from hanging. After that last jolt he only managed to hold on to the staff's tip. _I need to get out of his grip. Just distance myself_. The shell end of the staff pushed against mud, but there wasn't any substantial water to be had. Kichiruka wished it would start raining again. Peeking through hazy eyes, he spotted what he hoped to be a rain puddle. Kichiruka's memory drudged up a spell he'd learned over the summer.

_Gurgling?_ Sesshomaru arched a brow at the demon in his hand. _Already rendered inarticulate?_ "Rin, he would have made a sorry match for you anyway."

Tuning out Rin's protests, Kichiruka focused completely on the puddle some ways behind her. He summoned it. _Come here!_

A sharp whistle caught Sesshomaru off guard. The piercing noise addled his sensitive ears and Kichiruka's spirits soared for a moment as the claws loosened. Then Sesshomaru remembered himself and doggedly hung on. He didn't pay any mind to the water that suddenly slushed around his boots.

The conch touched to the water. But Sesshomaru still throttled his quarry. _He needs to let go. _

The goldfish eyes narrowed and a sickly, bitter scent emanated from the claws at Kichiruka's throat. "Such a waste."

_Dammit, let go!_ Panicking, Kichiruka flailed in the grip. Sesshomaru just held on tighter even as they both sank into what had appeared to be a shallow puddle's depths. _But he doesn't know where we're going!_

And there was no undoing the spell now.

oOo

Kichiruka coughed, pushing his silver bangs from his vision. He didn't feel quite "settled in" yet – that sometimes happened with teleportation. When the world stilled a little, Kichiruka looked up from the ground. Just a stone's throw in front of him, he watched himself sit upright without so much as a wince. _I look fine._ He smiled. _Glad I can see myself._

Then he realized just how _wrong_ that sounded.

"Kichiruka!"

"Rin!" he exclaimed.

She ran over to his double.

Kichiruka gasped. _Gods above! Have I died and am now doomed to observe specters of what might have – _

Pain suddenly jolted through his left arm. "HOLY—!" Well, he was alive. And settled in, so to speak. But the settled in where? The sleeve covering the arm wasn't dark blue like his robes. It was white and had a red honeycomb pattern just like…

_Uh-oh. _

And fresh pain stabbed through him again. Damn, he gauged just how hard he zapped Sesshomaru earlier, but he didn't think the paralysis would be this bad. It was like taking your worst cramp and shoving a hot coal stoker through the palm up. Kichiruka couldn't imagine how Sesshomaru had kept a straight face the whole time.

_…Well, at least I gave him a reason to kill me._ He smirked. Then looked back at where Rin was fussing over who she thought was "Kich'."

"Let me see." Rin studied the raw flesh that was revealed around Kichiruka's neck in jagged, brutal claw marks. But he didn't make any sign of pain or even acknowledge her attendance. "Are you okay?"

"No." The demon drew a breath that rattled only in the slightest. "Rin…Tell me, why I am smiling like an idiot?"

Rin looked at his face – a faultless stoic mask in spite of all the roughing up Sesshomaru had given him. "Kichiruka, I haven't seen you look more serious than…"

"Hey, Rin, I think he means me." Turning at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice, she looked at the dog-demon. A sunny smile lit up his face, making his amber eyes shine, stripes quirk…and making Rin want to gag. It looked so out of whack. She glanced back at Kichiruka who, in an odd twist since the start of all this, looked like he wanted to kill Sesshomaru.

Slowly, the water-demon stood so he towered over everyone still on the ground. His posture remained stiff-legged like an angry dog. "Or perhaps you can explain to me, prawn," he said in dangerous tones that grew louder with his fury, "Why I am in your body!"

From his place in the Western Lord's form, Kichiruka shrugged. "I dunno."

That wasn't the answer Sesshomaru wanted. He moved to strike his body's invader, but this time when Kichiruka dodged it _worked_. In one fluid motion, Kichiruka sprang to his feet and slid backward. He didn't fall either.

"Wow! I'm fast now!" he exulted. In Sesshomaru's voice, of course.

Rin looked between the pair. She had seen them vanish the way Kichiruka's magic always worked with a quick watery whisk, but when the two yokai came tumbling out of the next pool more than their physical positions seemed flip-flopped.

_One way to solve this._ "Lord Sesshomaru!" she called.

Blue eyes turned to her. But that was definitely Sesshomaru's signature leer.

Rin swallowed her pulse. "…And Kichiruka?" she ventured.

"Yeah?" An unnatural grin beamed from "Sesshomaru."

"How in all the worlds did you…?"

Kichiruka – Rin was sure of it now – pointed at the demon opposite him. "He didn't know where we were going. And should have _let go_."

"Bastard," Sesshomaru spat. "You knew this would happen."

"I didn't," Kichiruka swore. "You're the one who—" He paused and sniffed. "Hey! I can smell someone coming!" This was so cool!

Jaken rushed to the scene. "Lord Sesshomaru!" he cried, bowing at Kichiruka's boots.

Sesshomaru stood in quiet, seething mortification. "Jaken. Come here."

Kichiruka nearly busted out laughing and threw Rin a smirk over his shoulder. Her doleful expression cut his mirth short. This wasn't something that was supposed to be funny. She expected him to behave better than that.

Sesshomaru didn't.

Clenching the strange hands into fists, Sesshomaru ground his teeth. He should have known better. That bastard had a good front as an idiot, but he was damn smart – switching them at the last moment. The real Lord of the West could be done away with now. Who would recognize him? All that was necessary was for the prawn to report to his overlord – who had probably devised this scheme from the start – show up impersonating Sesshomaru and put the good name of the West to whatever they wanted.

Kichiruka shook his head, trying to clear out all the new privileges this moment of serendipity could afford him. None of them were right. "Um…Jaken?"

"Yes, m'lord," the imp slavishly parroted. And a sharp kick caught him in the back.

"I'm your master," Sesshomaru asserted.

Jaken blinked, wringing the Staff of Skulls in his claws. Since when did this oddball sea demon become his new liege?

"He's right," Kichiruka said, not sure if he could be believed because he looked and sounded like Sesshomaru or discredited for the very same reason.

"Let me try." Rin explained.

Bursting into tears, Jaken prostrated himself at his true lordship's feet, apologizing profusely and pausing only to sling the occasional insult Kichiruka's way. Sesshomaru felt fractionally better.

"So now what?" Rin asked when Jaken finally stopped blubbering, somewhat assisted by Sesshomaru's heel.

"_You_ are coming with me," the daiyokai growled, roughly hauling Kichiruka off by the front of his armor.

_Damn, I didn't know I had that much strength in my body._ But then again, Kichiruka hardly got that angry.

"Where are we going?" he asked, checking over his shoulder with all the spikes to see Rin and Jaken following. _Hey, I'm gonna need my conch staff, too. _

Sesshomaru didn't answer and continued stalking in the direction of the village, water demon in tow. _Or would that be me now?_ He shuddered at the thought.

Rin jogged up to Kichiruka. "You're probably going to see Kagome."

Fighting Sesshomaru's lead a little less, Kichiruka considered this. "How could a priestess reverse this situation?"

"Don't question Lord Sesshomaru's insight!" Jaken snapped. He made a valiant attempt not to look at his addressee. It still went against him to rail against someone who, in all conspicuous respects, was Lord Sesshomaru.

"It's a spiritual thing?" Rin guessed.

"But wouldn't a miko's powers sooner purify us – even accidentally – than fix this predicament?"

Furious and exasperated, Sesshomaru whirled on Kichiruka. "All right, prawn, _who_ can get me out of your repulsive body?"

"It's not repulsive. It's _my_ body."

"Exactly." Sesshomaru pointed at the dark blotches that now speckled his face. "It looks like I have the plague."

"Oh yeah?" Kichiruka plucked at the fur on his shoulder. And tried not to wince when he lost a few hairs. "Can you tell me just what the heck _this_ is supposed to—_urk!_"

Claws clamped to his throat. "_Who_ can fix this?"

"I know someone who might…" Kichiruka gasped. At least Sesshomaru wasn't tall enough to strangle hang him anymore.

"Bring. Him. Here."

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin drawled, "that might be more easily done if you let him breathe for longer than twenty seconds at a time."

_Unless he's just masochistic and likes inflicting pain on his own body_. Kichiruka kept the comment to himself. Sesshomaru let him go.

"Well?" The daiyokai pressed when the prawn didn't immediately jump into action. Kichiruka didn't like the get-to-it scowl Sesshomaru twisted into his face.

_Boss me around, huh? _The jester's old habits kicked in. With a devilish smirk, Kichiruka collected himself and, in a commanding tone, turned toward the Western Lord's little retainer. "Jaken, the staff."

"Yes, m'lord!" Jaken automatically responded and fetched him the conch.

Blue eyes flushed to a frightening crimson. Disgusted, Sesshomaru ripped the second staff from Jaken's hands. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot?" he hissed.

The poor imp looked back and forth between the two men – one looked like Lord Sesshomaru and one who was in faith. He threw his hands and the Nintojo up in the air. "This is too confusing!"

"Not much for a sense of humor, are you?" Kichiruka teased the dog-demon in his body.

Rin slipped a hand over her eyes. _All right, now you're just digging your own grave, Kich'…_

Sesshomaru tossed the conch staff back to where it had lain on the ground. He glared at Kichiruka. "Get it yourself."

_Well, that was childish._ Inhaling patiently, Kichiruka went to retrieve his material.

Sesshomaru wasn't sure if he liked the idea of watching himself stoop to pick up the staff. It seemed like such a servile task. _But I'm here_, he reminded himself.

Kichiruka plunked down in the mud.

A spotted hand twitched. "Stand up."

Kichiruka looked up at Sesshomaru from his seat on the sodden earth. _Doesn't want get his pretty clothes messed up, huh?_ Though the job had pretty much been accomplished from their battle earlier. Sesshomaru repeated the command. Fangs grated. Kichiruka's patience was vast, but it certainly wasn't boundless. "I should think you'd appreciate the expedience, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Brassy little…" Jaken was cut off as Kichiruka spoke gently to the conch in a series of clicks and it replied with a low ringing sound. Everyone leaned forward – Sesshomaru to a lesser degree – and shortly someone answered.

"What now?"

"Master Tensai, I'm in need of your counsel."

"Who the hell is this?"

"It's me – Kichiruka."

"What's wrong with your voice? Did they finally drop?"

Orange spikes clunked against the crescent moon that now graced Kichiruka's forehead, and Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably in the third-rate demon's body.

"Master, it's a serious matter."

Sesshomaru moved toward Kichiruka. Rin grabbed at his arm, something she wouldn't have normally done if he had his proper body. Rin cringed as what she had known to be friendly eyes narrowed to ice chips. "He is taking too long to get to the point," Sesshomaru said pointedly.

"That's his teacher."

"And?" Rin felt his gaze shift to the side of her face. Sesshomaru glanced back at the conch staff that shared the same hue. "Where did you say you got those earrings?"

Rin smiled sheepishly. "From a friend."

Kichiruka heard his instructor heave a gusty sigh. "Why don't you just get your stupid self to my study right now and –"

"That's kind of hard to do. I'm not in the ocean either."

"Boy, _what_ is going on?"

Sesshomaru made a second go toward Kichiruka, and Rin tipped the conch her way. "Master Tensai, please." Kichiruka let the staff slip into her grasp. "We really need your area of expertise. It's a very difficult position."

For the first time in ten years, Tensai had considered eating when Kichiruka called. Now with Rin's information he suddenly lost his appetite. "Young lady, hasn't your mother already given you the talk about this sort of thing? Yeesh, call me when I'm _not_ sober."

A tic jumped in Sesshomaru's jaw. Just what sort of riffraff had Rin been fraternizing with?

Kichiruka saw the murderous look cross his face. _Geez, may I never get that worked up. _The daiyokai's body had its benefits. In a single burst of speed, Kichiruka effectively blocked Sesshomaru. He heard a pained squeak underneath his heel. _Heh, two yokai with one sweep_.

"No, it's a real problem, sir," Rin said…fully aware of the juvenile game of keep-away they had going.

Tensai heard the worry twang in her voice. "Someone had better be dying – and not in the archaic sense. I'm on my way."

Sesshomaru went for the weak arm and viciously shoved Kichiruka aside. But by then the line was already dead.

"That was uncalled for," Kichiruka groaned, massaging his arm. But the pain had since quelled to a dull throb. _This guy's lucky – his wounds heal within less than a day_.

Sesshomaru ignored him, turning the shell staff this way and that as if to find an opening or an activation device. "Is he also a spellcaster?"

"Yes," Kichiruka answered.

Sesshomaru automatically reached for his right shoulder, then remembered there was no fur to soothe. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "How long until he arrives?"

Kichiruka blinked. "Master Tensai's fast – he's a swordfish."

"How long?"

"In what he calls a 'preferred state,' I always figured his nose was about the length of my elbow to the tip of my fin—"

"Lord Sesshomaru means the wait, you dolt!" Jaken snapped.

Rin cleared her throat. "Soon." _Hopefully Tensai will arrive before Sesshomaru's patience wears out. _

Striding toward the brook, Sesshomaru stood with his back to everyone else. Sufficiently isolating himself. He closed his eyes against the gray skies, trying to find a center of focus.

"Hey, so what's this sword do?"

Blue eyes flew open. "Touch that and I will break your wrist," Sesshomaru promised, lunging to Kichiruka's side before he could draw Bakusaiga.

"Technically, it's not _my_ wrist…" The corners of the dolphin's mouth curled.

"Stop it," Sesshomaru ordered.

"What?"

"Contorting my face like that."

"You're not used to smiling, are you?"

Sesshomaru frowned. And Kichiruka's grin just broadened.

"I would say strike him, but we wouldn't want to further disgrace m'lord's countenance," Jaken sneered.

"Is that so? I say Lord Sesshomaru would look better if he were to lighten up more." Kichiruka laughed.

_I don't care if it is my body_. Sesshomaru raised a clawed hand. Mercifully, the impending skirmish was interrupted by the roar of a cyclone from the tiny brook.

Sesshomaru stood with arms folded. "Huh. If his name's anything to go by, is that your teacher?"

The tempest settled quickly around a thin man in black robes. And Rin had never been happier to see the stormy old demon before.

oOo

While he made whatever adaptations water demons needed – _it appears to be a breathing adjustment_ – Sesshomaru studied the newest yokai that emerged from the brook. A quick evaluation told the daiyokai that this one, like the prawn, was of second-string status. Though he had an exceptional guise. The sails on his head were black and could easily be confused with human hair. Even his ears were refined only the faintest perk at the edge. If it weren't for his aura, Sesshomaru could have carelessly passed him over in a crowd. The dog-demon frowned. It seemed pathetic that a lesser yokai should try so diligently to mimic the human form.

Pressing his hands to the gills on his neck, Tensai hummed a soft incantation before stepping out of the brook. And nearly fell back in at the sight of the regal dog-demon. Though in all his visions, Tensai had never pictured Sesshomaru as being one to wear a confused look on his face. Maybe it was seeing a sea demon? Tensai did get that once in a while from terrestrial yokai. He tipped his head in a curt greeting. "What is the issue?" He glared at his student when he spoke. When Kichiruka didn't flinch, he stalked up to him. "Well, moron? Did you call me out just to waste my time?" Tensai railed. "Who do you think you are that to drag the Western Lord out…" Tensai paused in mid-tirade. Kichiruka should have been cowering at this point. Instead his blue eyes held a distant, detached look and rather than lively as the sea they appeared as cold and expressive as a glacier. "You're not my student."

"Astute observation, old man," the imposter drawled.

Tensai ignored the sarcasm and turned to "Sesshomaru," who grinned in a way that was alien to the face but no stranger to the swordfish's eyes. The dog-demon waved feebly with just the tips of his claws.

"Hi, master."

.

_A/N: Rin's going to need lots of therapy after this chapter. Thank you for reading! I always reply to reviews unless Private Messaging is disabled. Please check your settings if you would like to receive a reply. _

_Gag comic: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d3akau6_

_Also a big Thank You! is in order as Tensai made 2nd Place for Best OC in the IY Fan Guild this past quarter. Your support is most appreciated. _:)

_On the subject: for those who may still be wondering about Tensai's human form, all things considered, especially compared to the other human-esque yokai we see in the series, Tensai looks downright normal. I mean, just check out Hoshiyomi, Menomaru, our dear Sesshomaru, and Shiori's father (don't ask me to spell his name). Though I think Gatenmaru came pretty darn close. Albeit with a very extreme liquid diet. Okay, I'll shut up with the smart remarks now and focus on my final exams. _


	47. Cold Fish

_A/N: Okay, so this website that we're all reading/writing on has been having some technical difficulties lately. As you can see, the story's summary has yet to reflect the update (I'll fix it as soon as the modulators of this site put down their donuts and coffee). I offer a big THANK YOU to the Yahoo! Answers community and the LJ network for posting the solution to updates during the FF system's error. _

_A/N: Forgot to mention in the last chapter…LOOK on the ingredients listed on a package of Goldfish snacks. They ARE made with smiles! …Moving on…_

**Cold Fish**

Eyes that were an unsettling shade of yellow flicked back and forth between the two demons. One of a stoic reputation, the other a known goofball, and neither with their proper expressions. Tensai shook his head and sighed. "Only you, Kichiruka…"

The tall, silver-maned demon squeaked, "I'm sorry, master."

"Don't apologize to me! You bloody went and tarnished..." Tensai's anger cumulated into a frustrated snarl. Pressing his palms to his eyelids, the swordfish had to bite his tongue to keep from swearing in the Western Lord's presence. Gods, he wanted a stiff drink right now.

Then he sensed a mounting presence at his back and whirled around before Sesshomaru got too close. The taut, displeased expression that was foreign to Kichiruka's face prompted Tensai to reassess the situation at hand. "I suppose you're hoping for me to restore you both?"

"I _expect_ it."

Tensai snorted, fighting down the urge to reprimand for such presumption. It was Lord Sesshomaru, after all. _And who gives a hang?_ Tensai hated greater yokai who thought they were high-and-mighty enough to issue commands with a snap of their fins or, in this case, claws. "I'm not sure if it's within my capacity."

"Please won't you try?" Rin asked.

"I didn't say I wouldn't," Tensai returned. He looked askance at Kichiruka, the boy's emotions were etched plainly into the strange face he wore; fear, worry, and desperation wrinkled his brow and pinned down the corners of what would have been a smile. Tensai glanced at the daiyokai inhabiting his student's body. In a single scowl Sesshomaru fractured all of the cheer and good will Tensai had seen light up Kichiruka's expression.

When Sesshomaru sullenly shoved his hands into the dark blue sleeves he noticed that the flesh under the swordfish's eyes pinch. _This bothers him, too._

"Were you aware of this?" Snapping his wrist, Sesshomaru gestured between Kichiruka and Rin.

"Only of recent." Tensai's answer came simply. _Truthfully_, Sesshomaru discerned.

"And you did nothing to discourage your pupil?" Jaken railed. Tensai ignored him. That imp had an irritating voice. But then Sesshomaru tilted his head toward him as well. "Did you?"

"My relation to Kichiruka is academic," Tensai said clinically. "It is not my place to give approval or to condemn. Lord Ichikawa issued his approbation and so it is." There was "one snap of fins" Tensai could use for cover.

Sesshomaru's mouth remained a flat line. The swordfish was smart, answering only within his own realm.

"But how did your lord know of this girl's affiliation?" Jaken pressed.

Tensai's mouth finally got the better of him. "Well, there aren't too many daiyokai wandering around with human children at their heels, now are there?"

Biting his tongue, Tensai didn't need to hear the stifled squeak in Kichiruka's throat to know he had misspoken. Fortunately, Sesshomaru had also considered it a stupid question. His curiosity had instead been roused elsewhere. "Do you have any familiarity with these arrangements?"

"All of Lord Ichikawa's plans are arranged –"

"I meant," Sesshomaru clarified, "are you familiar with human-yokai relationships?"

Yellow eyes flickered a moment before Tensai smoothly answered, "It is uncommon, but not unheard of."

Sesshomaru watched the demon for further signs, but his expression remained the standard scowl he had arrived with earlier. Or maybe it hadn't been anything at all and Sesshomaru was just jumping to the conclusions he wanted to suspect. He wished he could smell for any deceit on the water-demon, but his new nose was dull and vapid.

"Was I not called to remedy your situation?" Tensai folded his arms and angled his jaw. It helped that Sesshomaru looked and sounded like Kichiruka at the moment. "My student's personal life is none of my concern, so picking my brain for information won't yield anything to you."

Sesshomaru arched a brow. "You certainly answered his call in a familiar manner."

"Oceanic customs are different from those of dirt—er, terrestrial yokai." He cracked his knuckles. "Now then…we'll need to fix this." Leaving no time to entertain the Western Lord's inquisition further, Tensai whirled to his student. "Kichiruka?"

"Yessir?" The young demon promptly snapped to attention.

"How old were you during the Mainland Invasion?" Tensai quizzed.

Kichiruka scratched his head. "Only a child…maybe a handful of decades. It's when I lost my…Master Tensai, do we have to bring this up now?"

Without answering Kichiruka, Tensai asked a completely different question. "What are the properties of Tenseiga?"

"The what?"

Rin canted her head to one side. "Those are some odd questions…"

"He's checking to see that our memories are whole," Sesshomaru stated.

Tensai quirked a half-smile in Sesshomaru's direction. "Very good."

Sesshomaru huffed. He didn't care to be praised like this third-rate demon's student.

"See? Why can't you be that smart?" Tensai waved a hand in Sesshomaru's direction.

"What? You didn't ask!" Tensai watched with private amusement and relief as Kichiruka's regular habits resurfaced and the dolphin cowered to automatically cover his head with hands.

"Hey, are you actually conducting anything or are you just a charlatan wasting Lord Sesshomaru's time?" Jaken piped from below.

"Look, you little turkey," Tensai growled, "For a vassal, you are only encumbering the man trying to help your master. So shut up and keep out."

"Who are you to—"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru bellowed.

Rin debated sitting down in the soggy grass. Given the melee of personalities present, this could take a while. But before she could make up her mind, Tensai resumed his overview, studying the colorful patterns on the dog-demon's face, then walked over to Kichiruka's body and inspected for any similar signs.

"We've interchanged _bodies_," Sesshomaru pointedly observed.

"I can see that," Tensai snarled. "But depending on the extent of the switch you might already be taking residence in each other's new forms. As a daiyokai, your presence could destroy a weaker body simply by being there." From somewhere behind him, Tensai heard Kichiruka gulp.

"So Sesshomaru's killing me without even trying?"

"I don't know, you moron!" Black robes swirled as Tensai wheeled on Kichiruka. "That's why I'm checking. But if you die, it's your fault, not mine."

"No one was blaming him for anything," Rin mumbled, glancing at Kichiruka.

He nodded quietly. "I think _we_ know that."

Engaging Sesshomaru's reluctant attention, Tensai checked for any additional information the dog-demon might have required in this mind swap. Finally, after feeling assured his evaluation was thorough, Tensai sighed. "All right."

Four sets of eyes weighed on him for the verdict.

"It's reparable."

Jaken blew his nose into his sleeve. Thank goodness! Sesshomaru exhaled slowly, then snarled a biting "get away from her" when Kichiruka tried to hug Rin.

"However," Tensai added once the small crowd had calmed down. "I cannot conduct the exchange here on land."

"No," Sesshomaru said stubbornly. "Have whatever materials you need moved here."

_Damn, Kichiruka, how badly do you want to get into this girl's "family"?_ Because Sesshomaru certainly made for uncompromising diplomacy. And to say "diplomacy" was stretching a point. "Do _you_ have an alabaster floor with all the necessary inscriptions at your disposal up here?"

On another day, Sesshomaru might have gone; but as of the moment, he didn't have his perfect strength. He flexed the strange claws at his sides, but there was nothing behind it. No venom. No power. This body was a demon's, but it was weak. He might as well have been stuck in Inuyasha's mongrel form. At least that blood was closer to his own, and might have given him a fighting chance in a foreign environment. "You had just said that you it's not your place to approve or condemn Ichikawa's orders. How do I know you aren't following them?"

"He's fair," Rin vouched, but Sesshomaru kept his eyes trained on the sea demon. "Hey, don't ignore me!"

Sesshomaru's reply, when it came, was full of the most scorn he had ever directed toward Rin. "Your recent judge of character and decision-making has only proved your immaturity."

Rin felt her lower lip quiver, and bit it. She wanted to say something back, but nothing was coming to mind right now. And if anything did, it didn't feel like her voice would work. Sesshomaru's icy response had just frozen her vocal chords over. Was she that much of a disappointment?

"This way please." Tensai's gruff offer cut through the silence. Without looking back, he stepped into the brook. Sesshomaru could follow him or stay, and, if gambling were among his vices, the swordfish would have bet which option the daiyokai would select.

Kichiruka glanced at Sesshomaru, but soon tramped after his instructor. Rin followed after Kichiruka. Then felt a strong yank on her collar.

"You are to stay here," Sesshomaru ordered. Rin wanted to argue, but Sesshomaru _was_ going with Tensai. Who said she didn't have any discretion?

"Indeed, the open sea is no place for a human girl," Jaken opined, following after his lord into the brook.

"Jaken, stay with her." With one hand, Sesshomaru tossed his retainer back on the bank.

"But sire!"

Kichiruka smirked. Then slipped in the water with a heavy _ker-splash!_ How many tons of armor did Sesshomaru honestly think was necessary?

"Does underwater breathing come naturally for this form?" Sesshomaru asked, pointing at Kichiruka's body.

Tensai nodded. "Yes, water yokai automatically transition to their element. It's our subspecies that determine whether or not we need to make adjustments for the terrestrial plain." The gills on his neck flared with the next huff. Looking to his left, Tensai advised, "Kichiruka, you may want to cast an adaptation spell for that body."

"My body doesn't require breath," Sesshomaru said loftily.

"You will if you plan on talking to anyone," Kichiruka pointed out.

Sesshomaru tilted his chin so that even at a slightly shorter stature he appeared to be looking down on the dolphin in his body. _I do not care to speak,_ his gaze clipped.

"_I _plan on talking," Kichiruka said with a touch more authority. "And we can either use a bubble or a seashell."

Well, bubble just sounded undignified. Tides of annoyance rolled off of Sesshomaru. "How does the latter apply?"

"Oh, it's a regular shell that expands over your face like a demonslayer's mask and filters air from the water," Rin explained. Blue eyes became ice chips again, and she quickly caught herself. "Well…that's how Kichiruka has explained it to me."

"He's tried to coerce you into going to his realm?" Under Sesshomaru's influence, Kichiruka's voice was sharpened to a dangerous edge.

"No, no – it was just mentioned in passing conversation once," Rin said, hoping that without his dog's nose Sesshomaru would have more difficulty detecting a lie. Not that it mattered; Sesshomaru looked like he was going to tear Kichiruka apart if he didn't need the body being occupied.

Kichiruka cleared his throat. "So…does anyone actually have a seashell?"

"You don't?" Sesshomaru cocked a brow.

"If I did, they've probably been crushed to smithereens after being turned into a dog-demon's chew toy."

"Then we're not going." Although he didn't leave the brook, Sesshomaru stood looking oddly smug.

Rin saw a hard frown level Tensai's face. He reached under his shirt's collar and, with the sharp nail of one finger, slit a few stitches. From the gap he removed a fine string of several clamshells. They were yellowed and chipped at the edges – obviously quite old. Tensai delicately handled the last one on the chain. Then quickly jerked it off before he changed his mind.

Sesshomaru folded his arms into Kichiruka's voluminous sleeves, eyeing the seashells. "You keep those handy all the time?"

"Something like that," Tensai answered distantly. He blinked quickly, then – for all the time he spent studying it – tossed the half shell carelessly to his student. "Make use of this, boy."

Kichiruka nodded. The tips of Sesshomaru's claws were sharp enough that he could write the incantation into the shell's hollow.

"Is that supposed to work without your typical attributes?" Sesshomaru inquired blandly.

"It should work regardless of my condition. I strove to _learn_ all of my techniques," Kichiruka stated with just a touch of superiority. To underscore his point, he touched the tip of the shell to his and in the next instant it grew to cover the lower half of his face. The few holes for filtering air were as plainly visible as the cocksure in Kichiruka's eyes. It was, for once, an expression that belonged on Sesshomaru.

A droll look crossed Rin's face. _I sure hope he's not getting too used to that body. _

Without skipping a beat, Sesshomaru snorted. "It was the least you could do to _attempt_ compensation."

Tensai cleared his throat audibly. "We can get going if everyone will please grasp one of my sleeves."

Sesshomaru hesitated, remembering what Kichiruka had said was responsible for the mix-up in the first place. "I don't know our intended destination."

Tensai folded his hands together. "You don't need to. Since you presently inhabit a water demon's body we are somewhat alike now." A self-satisfied smile lurked in the corner of Tensai's mouth as he watched the disdain on Sesshomaru's face just barely flicker to the surface. "That said," he continued, "simply let your mind rely upon mine."

Grudgingly, the dog-demon finally nodded. "See you soon, Rin!" he heard the optimistic prawn call. Then his ears were quickly water clogged. Sesshomaru felt the rush of the current, failing to keep his eyes open in the sudden onslaught. And then, for a split second nothing, he felt nothing at all. With the delay, the next wet, cold wave almost caught him off guard. He gasped; for all he knew, he had but a few seconds to figure out how this wretched element would affect him. Sesshomaru fought for his next breath.

Feeling the frantic pulse of the demonic aura next to him, Kichiruka called out to Sesshomaru. "Please, sir! Try to relax!" The mouthful of fur he took somewhat muffled his advice. The dog-demon's ridiculous accessories weren't the most suitable for swimming. When Kichiruka managed to get the massive quantity of fur under control, he checked to see that Sesshomaru had ceased his floundering and now studied the ominous entrance to the underwater cove before them.

"Where are we?" the daiyokai asked of no one in particular.

Pushing the cumbersome fur aside, Kichiruka drifted over. "We're outside of Master Tensai's study."

"And where is…?"

A large swordfish with fins marked by swirling yoki clouds pointed its needle nose toward a small cavern. His yellow eyes had lost their pupils, but the terseness around them was still there.

"Does teleportation always do this to his constitution?" Sesshomaru said it less like a question and more as an insult.

"No," Kichiruka answered on behalf of his teacher, remembering how excruciating the change between the swordfish's terrestrial form to his preferred state was. _He must have reverted to the true state to avoid the indignity of pain._ Tensai always was a touch too honorary.

The swordfish curled on itself and in the next puff of yoki, Tensai emerged in the shape Kichiruka knew best. Sesshomaru smirked. The large yellow eyes reminded him a bit of Jaken.

"Kichiruka, you know my study. I request that you remain here with Lord Sesshomaru."

"Yessir."

"Why?" Sesshomaru growled impatiently. "We're here where you said you had all your materials."

"Some of which need to be picked up," Tensai snipped. "It's not every day that someone around here switches bodies with another."

Sesshomaru crossed his arms.

Tensai rolled his eyes. "Really. We don't."

"And you wish for us to idle here?"

"Oh?" The cobalt skin of Tensai's brow rippled in a challenge. "You would like to come with me and have it paraded that the Western Lord has deigned to tour Lord Ichikawa's territory?"

Sesshomaru groused. "I will come with you and he" – a claw stabbed in Kichiruka's direction – "will wait here."

"Acceptable," Tensai said with unusual cordiality. "But please bear in mind, Lord Sesshomaru, that it would draw less attention to us if you mimicked the mannerisms of Kichiruka."

"I will make no such effort."

"Fine. But he is a popular fellow. Expect to be swamped by friends. They're going to wonder what's wrong with you, if you've been feeling all right lately, taken ill, how they might assist…" Tensai continued enumerating all possible concerns on his fingers.

With an exasperated huff, Sesshomaru whirled into the cavern.

With the Western Lord's back to them, Tensai flashed his student a wry smile. Kichiruka made the expression for a wordless "heh," but it was quickly replaced by a pleading look. _You're going to leave me alone with him?_

"Quit acting like an idiot." And with a rough slap from his caudal fin, Tensai sent Kichiruka inside after Sesshomaru.

oOo

If one ignored the circumstances of his arrival, Sesshomaru could agree that the ocean was a particularly remarkable place. And Tensai's study was a trove of some of the finer specimens. There was a tight order to everything, of course, but Sesshomaru didn't plan on touching anything. He liked picking out the details with his eye. So far he had found five different colors of starfish, eighty-six varieties of seashells, and the patterned runes on the floor that Tensai had deemed so vital. The glowing sphere in one corner had caught his attention, but he let it be in favor of seeing everything else in the cavern. He could save the best for last.

Kichiruka watched Sesshomaru give himself a private tour of his instructor's study, getting lost in all the knickknacks and potion vials. He had considered explaining some of the odder stuff, but then it almost seemed rude to disturb someone so absorbed in his own thoughts.

Kichiruka's fears of him being the one to interrupt Sesshomaru's musing were brought to an end with a sudden thunder above the cavern. The quake sent a couple of vials rattling in place, but – to Sesshomaru's mild surprise – a bright band of blue energy activated, strapping all the vials into place on their shelves. _It must be the instructor's precaution._ He glanced to where Kichiruka had taken cover by the swordfish's desk. _Definitely_.

When the shaking settled, Kichiruka poked his head back out. "Something's landed out there!" Tracing his hand over the colorful sphere that Sesshomaru had eyed earlier, Kichiruka brought up a view of the cavern's exterior. An enormous sturgeon, easily twice the size of the cruise ship Kichiruka lived in, clung to the side of the cavern. The demon had a serpentine tongue that didn't quite match and flicked it in and out, presumably tasting the current. Alongside its lateral fins were human-looking arms. The grotesque limbs allowed it to crawl over the rocky surface. Red eyes narrowed to focus as it tilted its head upward. Kichiruka's fingers skimmed the face of the sphere to follow the sturgeon's line of vision. Up at the surface floated the sturgeon's next meal, but to Kichiruka it looked like an unassuming human fishing ship.

"It's going to hurt someone if we don't stop it," Kichiruka said, coupled with a sharp intake of breath.

"They're just humans," Sesshomaru dully remarked from over Kichiruka's shoulder.

"They're innocent!" he cried.

"Their lot was cast when they set out into your waters." Sesshomaru shrugged and leaned against Tensai's stone desk. "Besides, your teacher insisted that you stay here."

"How can you be so callous?" Kichiruka asked, though after his clash with the Western Lord it wasn't too difficult a concept for him to fathom anymore. "I thought you liked humans?"

"I have selective tolerance."

"No kidding," Kichiruka grumbled. He wrung his hands on the conch staff for a second. And without another thought to how he looked or what attention he drew, he swam out the cavern toward the danger.

With a warning squeal that keened high and loud, Kichiruka called to the sturgeon. "Please don't go after those people!"

The beast ignored him.

With a burst of yoki, Kichiruka zipped toward the monster. Readying his claws, he struck the first blow. The sturgeon's hide was tough, but more damage was done than if the claws had been anything less of daiyokai. With a pained and ferocious screech, the sturgeon rounded on Kichiruka.

_Got his attention now. _Kichiruka repeated his request.

In awkward, oceanic gurgles, the sturgeon returned, _"Dinner…interrupted."_

"Find game elsewhere," Kichiruka clicked.

"_Okay_." With its mouth wide open, the sturgeon dove toward the interfering demon.

Kichiruka dodged the attack in one fluid motion. Grace was innate to the daiyokai's form. And Kichiruka had time to be mildly perturbed that Sesshomaru's body didn't face any difficulty adapting to the environment. _Everything comes to him so easy!_

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sesshomaru exiting the cavern, apparently following. And for the first time since seeing his own body, Kichiruka saw it as small and weak. He hadn't been envious of greater demons before – especially when someone as foppish as Ichikawa was the example – but now, feeling their full potential course through his veins to energize every move and pulse, the prospective became a tempting one.

_I could…I could keep this body if I wanted. He's really not strong enough to stop me. _

The sturgeon cut through the current at an alarming rate, reset toward its initial target, and Kichiruka immediately refocused. He just barely managed to catch hold of one of the sea demon's limbs. What had been a normal yank in his own body turned into enough force to tear off the arm completely. The sturgeon roared in pain and turned back to Kichiruka.

He went for his first weapon of choice; the conch staff was poised ready in his hand. But then Kichiruka noticed the selection of sword hilts at his side. _If I were Sesshomaru..._"Which would I use?"

"Neither." When he reached Kichiruka's side, Sesshomaru indecorously grabbed the Bakusaiga. The finely etched hilt felt smooth and familiar in hands. But his fingers suddenly twitched. The tremendous power of the Explosive Fang made the arm of the lesser yokai's body quiver in a vain attempt to control it. _I can't manage my own weapon?_

"Everything okay?" Kichiruka blinked with wide, amber eyes.

The blade bucked in Sesshomaru's hands. "Put this away."

"Maybe I can use it."

Sesshomaru drew his lips back in a baring of teeth. "Don't you—"

The sturgeon's mouth popped with a loud smacking noise as it tried to engulf both yokai. By instinct, Kichiruka went for the conch staff. Lacing the fingers of one hand over the shell's spikes, Kichiruka turned the staff upside-down so it looked more like a pike. In a breathless series of clicks, he conducted the next spell. Kichiruka prayed that the staff would work in spite of the fact that he no longer inhabited a water-demon's body. _Master Tensai said the staff is a conduit. _It didn't run on demon power like Sesshomaru's blades, the conch channeled it.

With the squeal of the last syllable, the water immediately surrounding the staff and Kichiruka's hand condensed into ice. Sesshomaru's eyes widened at the sight. An icicle sword!

_It's not so heavy now either._ Kichiruka had little preference toward this technique when Tensai first introduced it and learned it only because it was on the following week's exam. The icicle had always been a pain to haul around, even becoming a running joke for Kichiruka when he had to learn something useless – not that he ever let Tensai in on it. _But now…_Speeding through the water, Kichiruka made short work of the sturgeon. Dehydration might have been ineffectual underwater, but the brute strength of a well crafted weapon was good enough for the overgrown fish.

When his task was finished, Kichiruka spoke softly to break the icy bind. He wiggled his fingers. "Your body recovers from pain quickly," he observed, feeling the numbness swiftly leave his hand.

"It _is_ mine," Sesshomaru asserted.

_I know._ Kichiruka grumbled sullenly, but couldn't bring himself to look Sesshomaru in the eye, too ashamed of the thoughts he was having.

"Your instructor has trained you well."

Kichiruka looked up. "Izzat a compliment?"

Sesshomaru hummed in a way that meant everything and nothing at all. "It would be too much to assume that you learned such a technique all by yourself."

Kichiruka opened his mouth to retort…then saw a small figure bobbing toward them in the distance. "Quick!" He pushed Sesshomaru back to Tensai's study. "We don't want anyone spotting us!"

Sesshomaru huffed irritably as he watched "himself" torpedo like an idiot back into the darkness of the cavern. If he was lucky, the swordfish would return soon. The dog-demon flexed the spotted hand that he temporarily called "his."

_Luck isn't something counted on around here. _

.

_A/N: Because one reader requested to see Kichiruka in his true form: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d3bwslm (please remove spaces) And now I revel in Spring Break! Thank you for reading!_


	48. Shark Tank

_A/N: I had wanted to get this chapter out earlier, but…you know class is in session when it's Day 2 and you're a week behind. Thank you for your patience! _

**Shark Tank**

If Kichiruka had hoped that the display of strength against the attacking demon would win him any points in Sesshomaru's favor, he was sorely disappointed. The daiyokai, when they resettled in Tensai's study, effectively ignored him, distracting himself with the interior design of the quarters instead.

"See anything interesting?" Kichiruka asked in a vain attempt for conversation.

Sesshomaru pulled his face into a flat look that stopped the water-demon from asking further questions. Kichiruka withdrew to his designated space in the room. Albeit with some difficulty in Sesshomaru's bulky armor. _Well, it was a stupid question, _Kichiruka groused inwardly._ Of course_ the whole study chamber was interesting – the many colored vials that lined the shelves, some of the specimens inside still moving, as well as apparatus that had no equivalent in human speech. There was valve that was said to harness the power of an underwater volcano and its adjoining pipeline that networked over the ceiling and provided energy to light the room's interior. And, in the rounded asp on one side, glowed the sphere that Tensai used to occasionally tune into present events around Ichikawa's domain – mostly to get out of actually attending any of them. In any case, even a blind man could feel the swirl and pulse of energies that mingled and churned in the quarters. Lost in his own musings, the daiyokai gave himself a private tour of the room. At length, he finally inquired, "Do these do anything?"

Kichiruka watched him trace the deep etchings in the floor that marked platform of Tensai's more complex spells. "Depends on the medium and orientation of the subjects," he explained.

Sesshomaru nodded, still studying the engravings. _Mediums? _He looked at the items that lined the shelves again. _Perhaps they are placed inside the stencils,_ he hypothesized. Suddenly, Sesshomaru felt a ripple go through the cavern. He turned toward the entrance. Tensai slung off a small pack that clinked when he set it down on his desk.

Wasting no time on greetings, he barked, "Kichiruka, get over here."

"Sir?" Kichiruka hovered over his teacher's shoulder.

"Pay attention to what's assembled." Drumming his fingers impatiently, Tensai gave his student all of five precious seconds to look over the materials – specific species of anemones, some bottled semi-liquids, a collection of hand-selected stones, and – Tensai skewered the petrified puffer fish on the table and set to work. Kichiruka's time was up. "I hope you got all that."

Kichiruka nodded feebly. Then felt himself being shouldered out of the way as Sesshomaru crowded closer to watch.

"Yes, you may observe, too, your lordship," Tensai drawled without looking up. Although he should have to known better to corral his sarcasm, his focus was to complete the task while the materials were still fresh. "Matrixes sixty-four and ninety-one. Bring five of each. We'll need a high viscosity for this."

Sesshomaru watched Kichiruka dart over the shelves on the other side of the study. "Master Tensai, uhhh, we've only got three bottles of sixty-four, should I—"

"You know the substitutions! Bring them!"

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably. Substitution didn't sit well with him, but the speed and efficiently with which old demon worked kept him from raising any questions. The swordfish worked quickly, moving with the fluidity of experience – _Or maybe it's just his species, _Sesshomaru demurred. Tensai pulled out his necessary utensils from under his desk – mixing, crushing, cutting, and blending as needed. It occurred to the dog-demon that although they were underwater the swordfish managed to "pour" out the liquids into a single mortar. _Different densities? _

"Get me two other bowls," Tensai ordered, already holding out his hand. Kichiruka supplied as requested. Tensai ladled equal amounts of the mortar's concoction into both. He left them on the desk to sit.

Sweeping into the nearest atrium, Tensai returned with large scroll, its breadth the length of a good sword. He motioned for Kichiruka to help him unfurl it. From his extensive peripheral vision, he noticed Sesshomaru cocked his head a certain way. "There's a coating we use to prevent deterioration of paper goods," Tensai automatically explained. Smoothing out the scroll, Sesshomaru realized it was a diagram of the floor. Certain areas inked darker than others. "Now, Kichiruka, complete this half and I'll take the rest."

Gliding easily over the floor in the current, both student and teacher worked in perfect tandem. His mind set to the task at hand, Kichiruka didn't seem as hindered as before by the strange body he occupied. Filling the correct grooves harnessed all his attention. Sesshomaru noticed that while they coated particular areas, the prawn and his instructor deliberately overlooked others. In a handful of minutes, they had everything complete.

"Stand over here," Tensai directed Sesshomaru, pointing above one design that looked like a small circle with letters in a language the dog-demon didn't recognize. Then with his free hand, the swordfish roughly dragged Kichiruka to the appropriate spot. "Stay."

Taking the central position, Tensai folded his hands together. Exhaling once, he closed his eyes and hummed the first syllable of the incantation.

_About time_, Sesshomaru thought. The feel of claws and fangs and fur filled his mind – he wanted nothing more than to have his body restored to its rightful occupant.

"Lord Sesshomaru, please be quiet," Tensai snipped.

"I've said not a word."

"Not that sort of quiet," Kichiruka said. "Still your mind." He realized a tad too late that his helpful suggestions might only work toward Sesshomaru's growing chagrin.

Sesshomaru glanced at his body beside him and the rather vacant stare that glazed amber eyes. _Perhaps it's easy for you to have a blank mind. _

Massaging his temples, Tensai inhaled slowly before cleared his throat. "Lord Sesshomaru, if you'd please?"

Fine. He could manage. Drawing on a lifetime of martial training, Sesshomaru found the quiet stillness within himself. The same blank piece of his heart with which he killed. There were only solitude and surety in that space.

There was a slight tickle on his face. _The prawn's blasted tresses._ Keeping his eyes closed, Sesshomaru tucked one of Kichiruka's long bangs behind an ear. But his mind was addled. Perhaps a far away thought would help. Something visual to distract the senses. Sesshomaru pictured one of the meadows he so often looked across. With a small, gentle creek that cut through it. No, creeks were too tame. And rivers too large. A brook. Something similar to where he trained with Rin. And where she liked to spend her free time. And probably met that prawn. Sesshomaru pictured himself throttling Kichiruka, tossing him back in the –

_"Shut up!"_

Sesshomaru opened his eyes. And looked down to find his hands still had spots on them.

Tensai heaved a gusty sigh. "I don't see how I'm supposed to focus when—"

"Master Tensai?"

"What, Kichiruka?" he snapped.

"You once said that yokai don't have souls, but I was wondering that if that's true, then how can Sesshomaru and I possibly be able to switch –"

Two fists clocked Kichiruka on either side of his head.

"Can we all focus now?" Tensai groaned.

Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles. That had helped him somewhat. He nodded.

Once again, all three yokai resumed their stations. And, once more, Sesshomaru tried to clear his mind. For someone who had an "academic" relationship with him, the daiyokai couldn't help but notice that Tensai was anxious for his student's return. Strangely, for no reason he could place, it reminded Sesshomaru of Rin. And the simple contentment she had graced his days with ever since.

A sharp, almost painful, sensation jolted Sesshomaru. It was like losing the milk teeth he had as a child. Just at that moment when the last thread of flesh was severed and a tooth dropped out, leaving a hollow numbness in its place. It was not a pain that would make someone cry out, but a shocking experience all the same. Then came the numbness.

Inhaling raggedly, Sesshomaru was suddenly grateful for the shell that masked his face and allowed him air. He breathed slowly. _I'm here_. Instinctively, Sesshomaru ran a check on all his vital signs. He flushed a bit of venom just under the surface of his claws and felt a pleasing tingle beneath his nail beds.

While they gave him space to recollect himself, Sesshomaru watched the swordfish peer into his student's eyes, twist his head this way and that, and generally fuss over him like some lost pup returned to the litter. Their exchange was simple: "You are such an idiot." "I know." "Truly." "So you've said." "Are you sure you're all there?" "Yes, Master Tensai, for the last –" "Don't interrupt me!"

He knew all the motions by heart. And dismissed them as uninteresting. Sesshomaru focused on cleaning some kelp out of his mane. When they started to prattle too long he insinuated his presence again.

"Ah, sorry, Lord Sesshomaru," Kichiruka apologized when he felt the prickle of yoki on the nape of his neck.

"I'm leaving," the daiyokai announced to no one in particular.

"Y'mean, out the front door?" Kichiruka's blue eyes widened at concern for Sesshomaru's cover. "Is that the best option?"

A silver brow arched in a challenge.

Kichiruka met it. "I can take you back."

"I've had enough."

Then Sesshomaru saw the swordfish's yellow eyes widen as he detected a pulse course through the cavern, similar to the one that had defined Tensai's presence when he had returned to the study. Only this charge was akin to that of stronger aura entering the area. It didn't have the regular cadence of lower yokai, the kind that mimicked human heartbeats, but a refined hum of continuously expanded energy.

Tensai swore under his breath. He executed a hasty series of kata that left his hands glowing. Tensai directed them toward the entrance in a pushing gesture, obviously attempting to keep out whoever was requesting passage. "Kichiruka, get Lord Sesshomaru out of here."

"Then this _was_ premeditated," the daiyokai accused.

Greater demons were such ingrates. Tensai snorted. "If it were, I would have left Kichiruka in your body and affixed a bow around his head before sending him off to Ichikawa."

A second stronger pulse shook the study. Tensai winced. Ichikawa was being polite. "_Now_, Kichiruka."

"I beg your pardon, m'lord." Taking some liberty in light of the circumstances, Kichiruka looped his arm around Sesshomaru's waist. "Lord Sesshomaru, please think of the brook and where we were earlier this aftern—"

Sesshomaru huffed. "I know. Just do it."

They swirled out of sight just in time as Tensai's aura caved. Ichikawa swept in accompanied by two guards. The armor looked excessive on their heavily plated crustacean bodies. The expressions they wore weren't nearly as comical.

"How now, Tensai?" Ichikawa greeted with a friendly smile that was at odds with his entourage.

"I've felt better," the swordfish answered candidly.

Ichikawa laughed. "I'm sure."

"To what honor do I owe this visit?"

"Glad you asked." Ichikawa's eyes gleamed like the interior of a mussel shell. Tensai resisted the urge to comment on the saliva. It was, for all the chills it sent down his spine, a favorable look. Which only meant Ichikawa wouldn't kill him right away. "I have received word that Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands was here."

Tensai made no comment, and took the lapse in conversation to map out possible answers.

"Was he?" Ichikawa pressed.

Truth or dare a lie. Tensai knew the answer. "Yes, m'lord."

"Then why did you resist my entrance?" Ichikawa said with a sour note of displeasure. "I would have liked to meet him in person."

Tensai shrugged. "It was his first visit here, my lord. To my knowledge he has only just made the acquaintance of Kichiruka." Tensai avoided the detail of the circumstances. "The reserved nature of this Western Lord is markedly different from that of his sire. It may behoove us to proceed slowly. Though there are no guarantees." Tensai enunciated the last clearly as he usually did when he was stressing a point to Kichiruka.

The tips of Ichikawa's wings tapped together anxiously. "But he truly was here?"

Tensai nodded grimly. And his personal space was promptly violated.

"Ooo! I knew Kichiruka was a swell investment!" the Lord of Mikan gushed. His accompanying guards courteously looked the other way. "Didn't I tell you? Didn't I? I knew it would pay to have him under your tutelage. Have him learn something. And, oh, look at the connections its yielded!"

_Actually, more of the mess it's made._ "M'lord, with all due respect, LET GO!" But Tensai's protests were muffled by the heavy black wings the manta ray had wrapped around him.

Eventually, Ichikawa relented. He had to remember that not all his subjects were aware of the Far West expression of exuberance. And, putting everything in perspective, nothing was set in stone yet. He straightened. "Thank you, my dear Tensai. I look forward to seeing how this will turn out." He called for his guards to follow him out.

Although he made a shallow attempt for composure, Ichikawa left singing one of his strange foreign tunes. Tensai had no inkling what "zippa-dee-ay" meant, but it sounded disturbingly cheery.

The crowd gone, the old demon exhaled greatly. And sank behind his desk. Sliding aside a carefully placed stone, Tensai took out the gourd he kept under its hollow. Then thought better of it. When he returned, Kichiruka was going to need someone here to pick up the pieces.

.

_A/N: So, I finally watched _Ponyo from the Cliff by the Sea_ last week (been dying to see it since it came out in theaters). Admittedly, I had some reservations about watching it since I started writing "Hooked" as I didn't want to have any outside influence. I haven't even watched "The Little Mermaid" (despite previous gibes) since the beginning of this fanfic. Now, having seen Miyazaki's latest, I just have one thing to say and it's for the benefit of readers…If Kichiruka sounds like Adam Young, then Tensai's voiceover would be Liam Neeson on a bad day. _


	49. Smoked

_A/N: Just want to say thank you to everyone who has been following this running story and all who have hopped aboard. Much appreciated!_

**Smoked**

Rin paced back and forth on the brook's bank. One way, then the other. She wanted to keep her hands busy, but threading flowers right now just reminded her of funerals and with Kichiruka still out there…Rin squeezed her eyes and shook her head. And resumed pacing.

For his part, Jaken complained about his young ward's stupidity. Really how could she? A demon of all things! It was utterly deplorable, shattering Sesshomaru's efforts to provide the best for such an ungrateful human who had to make the lowliest of selections. It was all her fault. For that matter so were the dropping temperatures and darkening sky. But Rin ignored him. Somewhat. It was her fault. If she had just left Kichiruka in that net, or sent him on his way and not asked for anything, never wished for something more…Didn't Kichiruka still owe her a wish?

Rin lengthened her strides. Kichiruka and Lord Sesshomaru were taking a while. It was nearing nightfall, and while it didn't look like it was going to rain again – a few early evening stars blinked between clouds – the day's malaise lingered still.

Suddenly, the brook slushed with new arrivals. In a single bound, Sesshomaru sprang from the waters. All traces of a smile kicked clean from his visage, narrow eyes glowed in the twilight a deep and angry amber – his face was definitely "all there."

Less gracefully, Kichiruka hauled himself out. He smiled faintly Rin's way, but immediately attended to the dog-demon. Cautiously, he approached Sesshomaru. "Sir, if I may take the water from your…"

"You may take your leave," the daiyokai ordered.

Kichiruka straightened, struck by the curt response.

"Have you gone deaf?" Jaken harrumphed. "Lord Sesshomaru is granting you your life for an offense he would have killed you for but mere hours ago."

"Then I would like to appeal further to Lord Sesshomaru's magnanimity," Kichiruka said firmly, though he wished he didn't have to address the Western Lord's back. "Simply that you please might offer your approbation for—"

"You have a death wish then." Talons clicked on armor.

And Kichiruka didn't have time to reply. Closing the distance at blinding speed, Sesshomaru caught up the water-demon in a singular motion. Kichiruka hacked at the impact of the locking grip on his throat once more.

Rin's hand hovered over the green hilt at her side. Indecision unnerved her. She knew it was wrong, but it wasn't as if Sesshomaru were any more right. The daiyokai had only to twitch his fingers and he could easily tweak the life out of Kichiruka.

"Release him!"

Sesshomaru turned not at Rin's words, but at sound of a blade unsheathed. The same sword he'd given her he knew, without turning to see, was pointed at his back.

"You draw on me?"

Rin looked guiltily at the blade. But at the hiss of Kichiruka's desperate gasp she tightened her hold. She repeated her request. "Let him go."

"Make him leave." Sesshomaru allowed the order to hang in the cold air. "Rin, if you think I am going to offer my approval or give some sort of blessing, it will _not_ come to pass."

"Why?"

A perked ear twitched. He expected her to understand the finality of his decision. Perhaps have to tolerate a bit of the rebellion attributed to her age, maybe a rejection of the idea, but ultimately acceptance. There was no _why_ involved.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said, forcing her voice not to quaver and the sword to stay steady. "You condemn unwarranted abhorrence and yet you harbor so much of your own. Tell me, what's wrong with Kichiruka? Was there any breach in honor? In spite of the day's accident, it looks like he's fully restored your lordship. Most would have exploited such a chance. If you need any further proof of his character, well, there it is for you! What else could possibly matter?"

In the fading daylight, Kichiruka's eyes took on their luminescent green reflection. The boy was yokai. _As am I_. And the relationship he sought with Rin would make a world of difference. And did it require any less affiliation with humans than Sesshomaru's own? _Once marked, never un-inked, _the proverb ran. Sesshomaru ground his fangs. He should just kill the prawn and be done with it.

And Rin probably would never forgive him to that extent.

The dog-demon tossed aside the obstacle in his path. Kichiruka's world spun for a second, then winked out of sight as he smacked headfirst into the earth. He was left oblivious to the soft hands that rushed to his side.

"Let's go – Rin, Jaken."

Sesshomaru whirled around, but didn't stride more than five paces when he realized no second light patter of feet echoed his. Without turning, he inclined his head in the opposite direction. "Rin?"

Rising into a firmly planted stance, the young woman lifted her chin in a challenge. "You said I had the choice between the world of humans that of yokai."

_This again? _Sesshomaru partially turned. "Do not put the words of that old priestess into my mouth."

"Fine, but she said!" Rin continued defiantly.

"She is dead, Rin."

"Then I am independent to make my own choice."

"No," Sesshomaru corrected. "You return to my keep."

"Who is to say?"

"This Sesshomaru wills it." The dog-demon's tone grew soft, dropping to a dangerous register. "If that _prawn_" – amber eyes flicked toward Kichiruka's motionless form – "does not want to return to the ocean I will dispose of him myself. Your objective is to return to the village until a suitable, _human_ match is found."

His vision clearing, Kichiruka tenderly fingered his neck. If he were stronger – _if I weren't some common yokai _– he might've clung to consciousness. _But perhaps were I human, none of this would be an issue_. His eyes squeezed shut; he knew the real answer. It was just as he had told Sesshomaru earlier: _I belong to no one._ Not even Rin. If he had simply minded his own and understood that some creatures simply didn't have kin, then he wouldn't have taken like a grubby barnacle to this village…and driven a fissure through what family Rin had. Whatever Sesshomaru's prejudices, this was still the first man Rin held in highest regard, whose counsel she sought first, and in whose faith it wasn't Kichiruka's to destroy.

"He's right."

Rin spun around at the rasping words, shocked when Kichiruka cleared his voice and continued, "Go with him, Rin."

Staggering to his feet, the water-demon braced his arms to his sides and bowed deeply to Sesshomaru. "I apologize for – "

"You've done enough."

"…my inadequacies," the young demon finished, and made for the brook.

"Kichiruka, _no_." Rin latched onto his arm, sobbing into the navy sleeve and soaking it with tears and spittle.

Gently, he lifted her face and wiped away a stray tear. Kichiruka delicately licked his thumb clean of the wet saltiness. "You always did taste like home." Then, without further delay, he gingerly disentangled himself and disappeared into the brook.

.

_A/N: Until further notice, _Hooked_will now update on a weekly basis. But expect shorter chapters. But between now and next time, I'd like to provide an alternative ending found on a newly uploaded fanfic entitled _Catch and Release_. Other stories and "deleted scenes" will appear in _Catch and Release _as well. Thank you for reading!_


	50. Five Loaves and Two Fish

_A/N: This title is owed to a famous Biblical scene. Happy Easter!_

**Five Loaves and Two Fish**

Winter stormed hard on the heels of autumn that year, slicking down the landscape and stripping the trees of their last leaves. The season had blasted in with a wicked blizzard that decimated the village's livestock. Only a couple weeks into winter and the chilling wind howled its threat to claim anyone who wasn't fit to weather these trials.

Snow crunching softly under boots, Sesshomaru shouldered his fur a little closer. Not that he minded the cold – enough talk circulated that ice water ran through his veins anyway. Rather, his was an attempt to keep the parcel he carried dry. Heavier clothing was necessary at this time of year, especially for humans. These times were the thinnest Rin's village had known in a considerable span of years. He had first left his young charge in a human village for her safety, but Sesshomaru quickly came to understand there was little protection against the elements. The wielder of Tetsusaiga, his miko and the taijiya siblings were meant to keep out manageable danger, such as unsavory yokai. _And even those precautions had fallen short,_ Sesshomaru thought sourly.

Since autumn, Rin had been sporadically lodging with Inuyasha and Kagome. She hadn't told Sesshomaru. He had to track her after knocking on the post of an empty house. This time, he rapped on his brother's home.

The priestess answered.

"These are for Rin," he announced, turning over the garments.

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome said politely coupled with a bow.

Sesshomaru sniffed quickly. "Where is she?"

"Rin's with Sango right now – you know, their growing family needs all the help they can get." Kagome laughed lightly in spite of her unease. The first time she had heard Rin's story, coming in snippets between hiccups and tears, Kagome's primary impulse had been to lay into Sesshomaru. But then she listened to what Rin relayed of Kichiruka's reasoning. Trying to find a way that would let her speak with the elusive daiyokai was just as difficult as avoiding confrontation altogether. For Rin's sake, Kagome tried to keep the shaky peace.

"Huh." Golden eyes locked with another glowing pair. "Why the face, little brother?"

"You know damn well why," Inuyasha growled, his ears flattening.

Sesshomaru eyed the half-demon askance. "She'll outgrow it."

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, she's done a fine job of that with you."

Kagome felt the hair-prickling current of Sesshomaru's aura crackle dangerously in the air. "Inuyasha…" she warned. She had been so worried about Sesshomaru picking a fight, Kagome hadn't considered Inuyasha picking one.

"I'm just tellin' him like it is." The half-demon spread his feet and stood his ground. "In case he didn't notice, Rin hasn't stopped going about her day. Despite having a perfectly nice guy ripped out of her life, she hasn't stopped living. It just no longer includes you, asshole."

Sesshomaru started. If not for the protective flare of the miko's aura, Inuyasha would have been disarmed of his tongue. Claws flexing at his sides, Sesshomaru hissed. "Then may my unnecessary presence be endured no longer." Pivoting on heel, the dog-demon strode from the house, the snow melting in where he stepped.

Kagome turned to her spouse. "Inuyasha, I can't believe –"

"He'll be back," Inuyasha stated with the surety of experience. "That bastard just seriously needs to think things over. And all your damn pussyfooting ain't gonna accomplish squat."

Kagome threw him a look. But her gaze tracked back to the solitary daiyokai who was soon lost on the white landscape.

_I sure hope so. _

oOo

Sesshomaru crushed a fallen branch underfoot. Rin hadn't spoken to him since the summer's close. That was one matter. But her dressing like a commoner was another. If it was as Inuyasha had said, that Rin didn't want any part of him in her life, then Sesshomaru was…unprepared to concede such a point.

He remembered when he first brought her new clothes. The smiles and first hums of appreciation in spite of her muteness. Like the favorite daughter of a noble house, Rin was given a style that suited her.

He remembered how during her first winter with him, she spent the whole day running around in the new boots. Skipping, sloshing through the white powder and building a snowman with Kohaku and Jaken.

Without a care to the chilly day, the daiyokai had felt a spark of warmth in seeing his girl-child happy. If his responsibility was her safety, Rin's happiness was his reward. Many could make her smile, but he was the toothy grin's first line of defense. _And always her security was and remains priority_. In those days, the two seemed so easily fulfilled.

Sesshomaru let loose a sigh into the whistling wind. He'd return again in a couple of weeks. What he would give for matters to be so simple once more.

oOo

"Combination twenty-seven. Third degree transmutation."

Kichiruka focused on the purple sea urchin. Its little tines contracted and expanded reminding him of Rin's titillating delight when she got to pet the quills. Even though it would mark only the beginning of their troubles, that day at the beach had been one Kichiruka's favorites.

The sea urchin exploded to size of a small dog.

"Did I call for magnification?" Tensai barked.

"Sorry, master," Kichiruka replied listlessly. He tapped the conch staff to the sea urchin's quills and it shrank back to normal. "Um…what did you want me to do again?"

Tensai swore and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Transmuta—ah, never mind…" Kichiruka had been like this for months now, making it nigh impossible to teach him anything new. Were it not for a fragment of empathy, Tensai's short-fused patience would have gotten the better of him a long time ago. All things considered, the boy was coping with it better than a younger swordfish once had. At least Kichiruka hadn't slipped into mindless hedonism.

Blue fingers wagged low next to the sea urchin and the little animal hopped into Tensai's palm. Carefully, he set it back in a porcelain bin with its friends – another urchin, two anemones and a starfish. The old demon sighed. "You should be so happy that neither of you are dead."

Kichiruka slumped on the desk, arms outstretched and his hands dangling over the edge. "I wish I were."

Tensai struck him. "No, moron. Nobody would want that."

"Except Sesshomaru," he groaned.

"And least of all Rin," Tensai countered.

"I know…" If there was any one person Kichiruka wanted to see right now it was her. At the end of the day, all he lived for was to see her smile. _But that can be accomplished without me._ "I still don't know what I'm going to tell Ichikawa."

"Well, as far he knows, Lord Sesshomaru simply wants the winter to consider." Tensai busied himself with rearranging the vials on the shelves.

"How long are you going to keep feeding him that line?" Kichiruka drawled.

"Oh, shut up. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Y'know…" Kichiruka said to no one in particular. "A little piece of me wishes she might show up around here.

"Pah, unlikely."

"My, aren't we the pessimist," Kichiruka drawled.

Tensai turned around, arms crossed into his sleeves. "No, it's winter right now. Humans don't venture far from their homes at this time of year."

Dragging his chin across the desk, Kichiruka angled to look at his teacher. "Why's that?"

Tensai rolled his globular eyes theatrically. "Have you _seen_ the snow?"

"A little precipitation stops them?"

"It's not just a little precipitation when you're human." Tensai testily knocked his knuckles against Kichiruka's skull. "Remember, we're yokai. We take it for granted to have ties to such forces. But for short-lives there's temperature, weather, sickness, fatigue, hunger – humans are vulnerable." _And it's fulfilling to have something, someone, to protect._

Kichiruka sat up. "I want to go back."

Tensai frowned. He hadn't meant to worry his student. "The girl lives in a community and has, for all intents, a watchdog. I don't think she needs your—"

"I want to make sure." Kichiruka's blue eyes brightened for the first time in while. "It's just to check and see."

Tensai huffed. A sharp "I wouldn't" was on the tip of his tongue, but he knew better. He would. Hell, he himself had… "Stepping down from the straight and narrow? You'll regret it, Kichiruka."

"I might…" He shrugged. "But sometimes some things are that simple."

oOo

Kichiruka visualized the waters of Rin's brook. But when he arrived there, he realized with a start that the weather had significantly affected the geography. The second he tried to bob to the surface as he used to a solid sheet of ice clunked him over the head.

_Well, this is new. Brr! And cold! _

Even for a demon the freezing temperatures of the water were enough to elicit a chill up the spine. Kichiruka couldn't begin to imagine what the trek to Rin's might be like. _But it might help to find an opening out from under this brook first. _Pinching his nose closed and squeezing his eyes shut, the dolphin yokai squealed. Then listened for an echo. There was a little hole in the ice just upstream. After finding it, making a suitable exit large enough for his frame was a matter of using the conch staff.

_There it is!_

Swimming closer, Kichiruka paused to watch a line with some writhing grub dropped into the water. He gave it a playful tug. And strong yank from the owner thunked the water-demon's head right under the ice. _Ow!_ Another pull and Kichiruka crashed through the sheet, landing on top of a wide-eyed villager. The poor mortal toppled back off his haunches with a yelp.

"S-sorry," Kichiruka apologized between shivers. Guess he wasn't exactly the catch this man was expecting. Sliding off the startled villager, he promptly issued another apology…and did a double-take when he recognized Rin's neighbor. "Rikichi!" Kichiruka beamed at the familiar face. "What brings you out here?"

Collecting himself somewhat and struggling into a seated position, Rikichi bobbed his head amiably. "I should ask the same of you! Am I left to assume it's true that Lord Sesshomaru has driven you from town?"

Kichiruka nodded. "Yeah…but it was partially my decision as well."

"And now you're coming by to visit?"

Kichiruka fiddled uncomfortably with a loose thread on his robe. Now that he was actually here, he wasn't too sure. "I just wanted to know how everyone was doing," he answered honestly.

Rikichi met the young demon with equal candor. "We're in dire need of food," he said, the gaunt planes of his face stretching with every syllable he mouthed. "Say, as water yokai, you wouldn't happen t' know where we could find ourselves a good cache of fish around here, eh?"

"I'll do better than that!" He looked around; the stream was near completely iced over. "Do you have any, uh…" He gesticulated wildly for a second. "Those fishing snares?"

"Y'mean, nets?" Rikichi made similar motions back.

"Yeah, those. Got any?"

"'Fraid that this be all I have right now." The man withdrew an old net from the past summer. It looked like it had been repaired after catching something that wasn't fish nor meant to be contained_._

_But was caught anyway._ Kichiruka looked forlornly at the net. "That'll do."

"It's pretty decrepit." Rikichi looked dubiously at his equipment. "Around this season all we usually do is poke holes in the ice, drop a line, and wait for a bite if we're lucky. You sure this'll work?"

Kichiruka nodded smartly. "Give me a short while and I'll return before you can make a new hole," he promised, then merged into the brook.

_Well, what should I do now?_ Rikichi waited anxiously in the cold. He remembered how Kichiruka had brought Rin to the village when she sprained her ankle. And all other services he had freely provided the village once he became a regular visitor. _A regular part of us_. Even for a demon.

The ice covering the brook unexpectedly split open. Kichiruka sprang out of the cascade, a full catch of fish netted. He slipped on the ice and flopped on his stomach, the conch staff landing on his head.

Rikichi laughed. "I appreciate your promptness."

Kichiruka rubbed his head. "I'm sure it's quite amusing." He watched the human load the net into a basket that would have only accommodated what he _expected_ to catch. Rikichi struggled with the straps as he hoisted the basket on to his back.

"If it's too heavy for you, I'll call…um…" Kichiruka looked guiltily at his conch staff. He had terminated its connection to Rin's earrings in an effort to avoid the temptation of contacting her altogether. He chewed the inside of his lip.

Rikichi waved his hand dismissively. "It's all right. I've got it." Though he looked askance at the water-demon. "I suppose you're not to return with me?"

Kichiruka shook his head. "I know my place."

"I'll tell Rin you said—"

"No."

Soft brown eyes blinked. "Why ever not?"

Humans were so vulnerable. "For her protection," Kichiruka decided.

oOo

When he got home, Rikichi was greeted with exclamations of praise and gratitude. Heading to the largest house in the village – the local monk's, naturally – his neighbors bustled together to partake in the distribution.

Amidst the clamor, only one young resident quietly asked, "How'd you get these?"

Rikichi smiled at her. "There's fish in the brook."

"How?" she pressed.

He considered the best way to answer this without dishonoring the previous solemn request. "The water spirits are kind."

_Kich'_.

Rin withdrew into the crowd. Kichiruka still could make her want to laugh and cry all at once.

.

_A/N: Rikichi, who has appeared in Chapter 24 of this story, is a canonical character (as far as the anime is concerned) from the InuYasha series. I just think it's nice to actually have a name assigned to Generic Villager #6. Thank you for reading!_


	51. Still a Guppy

_A/N: Apologies for the delay, but at least I'm finished with midterm exams. Guilty pleasure alert – I've been catching snippets of Disney Renaissance movies in my spare time (currently in love with _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_). This chapter owes its title to what Ariel calls Flounder when she means to tease him – I probably should watch _A Little Mermaid_ sometime soon. _

**Still a Guppy**

The sweet smell of damp grass lingered in the little one-room hut. Inviting and teasing the senses as it filled the void winter that had been. It should have been a sin to stay inside on beautiful spring days. But Rin hardly felt repentant. Winter she had managed to get through. When everything was iced over, cold and bitter, there wasn't much to acknowledge. Every day could blend into one gray blur right after the other, just like the landscape.

But spring was all flowers, creeping insects, and darling buds. Spring was life. Just like the kind that sparkled in happy blue eyes and grins with a few too many teeth. It was these early days of the season that made people second guess and check their fishing nets twice, just in case they might get lucky and snare something.

Rin wished more than ever she had turned her catch lose.

Last year, she had wanted nothing more than to break the boring norm. Now, even on sunny days, she rarely ventured out. Her time dragged to one monotonous beat: Get up early, work, eat something, go home, and do it again tomorrow. The routine was redundant. It went against everything Rin had hoped to be doing at this time last year. And she stuck to it.

At first, when the days started to stretch longer and Rin's only seemed to end earlier, Inuyasha had come out, blustering at her doorstep and demanding she come outside, say hi, enjoy a cup of tea, see the new cherry blossoms, socialize dammit! His outrageous stamina wore out…eventually. Before long it came down to him telling Rin to come out for Kagome's sake. And later, Kagome telling Rin to come out for Inuyasha's sake.

If anyone did get Rin to venture out it was Kohaku.

_Fancy that._

Kohaku reminded her that he and Miyoko weren't always to hang around now that calls for extermination were flurrying in again and someone had to help Sango.

She wouldn't ignore the needs of her martial instructor and closest friend, of course. Sango was ever the big sister. Rin felt it only natural that she could fill that role for the former taijiya's young children. But every so often Rin would find a little hand waving in her face asking if she was all there. There used to be a time the twins couldn't get away with anything. Now Rin's vacant permission to do what they wanted sent them grinding a halt. There wasn't any fun in mischief if you didn't at least run the risk of getting in trouble.

_And what a mess I've created already._

In retrospect, the sediment for decay had been set far in advance. _But who could have thought it would start out so sweet?_ Alone again, Rin sorted through the last vestiges she had of her life before it crumbled with one rotten day. On one side sat half of a sapphire stone, a pair of smooth orange earrings that didn't work anymore, and a soft scarf that Rin pretended was made of silk and not the weird production of sea cucumber regurgitation. Opposite them lay her first practice sword, a metal fan, an envenomed blade, and a chipped ivory comb. The second set would have resembled more of a small arsenal than gifts for a growing girl if it weren't for the last.

Rin ran a finger down the teeth of the comb. _I wish I knew what to do. _

Insecure and alone, her gut reaction called for one person. More than anyone else, Rin wished Sesshomaru were there. When she was small, his had always been the first counsel she sought. Since he wasn't much for talk, the daiyokai always selected his words with care. Those alone had been treasures enough for Rin. He had always been her first line of defense. Provider and protector, Rin never wanted for anything under Sesshomaru's watch. Since her parents' deaths, no other adult had ever provided such certainty. With Sesshomaru around she knew "everything was all right."

Matters became immensely more difficult when the one person who was supposed to be on your side was the very reason nothing was all right. And everything plummeted into uncertainty.

_Like being alone for the first time all over again._

.

"What's wrong? Where are you going? Can't I come with you?" Rin asked although she already knew the answers: Nothing, nowhere, no. In that order, too.

But Lord Sesshomaru promised he would come back. He always did. But that was before he left her in a human village. Maybe now that there were more people around, the dog-demon thought they could take better care of her than he could.

_That_ wasn't possible. Rin was sure.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are you?" Only she didn't say it in a sing-song like she usually did. Rin really meant it. _Where are you? _Rin knew that adults sometimes left you behind if they didn't like you. She had thought Sesshomaru liked her. Or at least didn't mind being around her.

Maybe he forgot about her.

People forgot about you when you didn't speak up. When you stood quiet. Before Lord Sesshomaru, Rin had been forgotten by a whole community of people, so she knew it could happen.

And after several agonizing days – it had only been three, but Rin had to count every hour, uncertain if it had many more brothers to wait through – Sesshomaru returned.

The first thing she did, like always when he came back, she tugged at his sleeve. Only difference was that there was now an arm in it. "Did you miss me?"

To this day, a few months after living with Lady Kaede, Lord Sesshomaru never really did answer that one, but he always brought something back from his travels for her especially. That much said he at least thought about Rin when he was away.

Finally, he did once relent to why she couldn't accompany him. "It's too dangerous."

Well, that wasn't anything new. Master Jaken had always told Rin Lord Sesshomaru's travels were fraught with danger too much for a pathetic human girl to manage. But they both always got to stay with Ah-Un and wait together. Why couldn't she go with Jaken and Ah-Un anymore?

And just for her, Sesshomaru repeated his explanation. Rin knew it was especially for her because Sesshomaru never repeated anything for Jaken. After another moment's span, he added, "You deserve a fair start."

"Oh." Rin paused and mulled over it. "Where am I racing?"

This time Sesshomaru puffed at a loose bang in his eyes and Rin got that better-let-it-go feeling. Sesshomaru wasn't going to answer that last question.

And for Rin, that was all right.

.

_But I've had my full start, haven't I?_ Rin hugged her knees to her chest, and a toe still poked at the scabbard's curving length. He was still trying to protect her. How stupid. Rin wanted to be angry with Sesshomaru. Tell him to back off already and let her be. She could do as she pleased. That was her entitlement, wasn't it? She had every right to be indignant.

So why did only guilt worm its way into her stomach?

_All this time and I haven't even spoken to him. _

Rin didn't want to be quiet around Sesshomaru anymore. Didn't want to ignore him out of existence. Or her life. She just…wanted to say hi.

A warm wind swept through her room. Its whisper carried only the faintest distinction of speech.

"_Rin_."

Peeking from beside the mat at her doorway, she saw where Sesshomaru stood a few feet away. Only a quarter turned in her direction, but golden eyes already pinpointed where she hid.

"Bring your blade," he called. No nuance of yoki this time. A plain order.

Rin didn't budge. Did she really want to do as told? Sesshomaru didn't wait for her to greet him. He turned and began walking. Again expecting her to follow. Or maybe he just didn't care anymore. Did he ever? _I do have to?_ Rin didn't need to bend to something ridiculous like this. She didn't have much, but she still had her pride. Her pride would be all she had left.

_And I'm being as stupid as he is. _

On knees that wobbled as badly as Kichiruka's had the first time he tried walking, Rin stood up, dusting off her knees. Then she collected the sword with its Shadow Teeth and tottered after Sesshomaru.

.

_A/N: Weekly updates will continue until the second week of June – blame my finals, bless my luck. And, because it was asked...Ichikawa's ideal voiceover would be Darren Dunstan, who probably has the right technique in that awesome vocal range to make our sea lord sound like a foppish, well-fed cat. _


	52. Kipper Out of Trouble

_A/N: For everyone who's wondering about Rin's wish since chapter two – I haven't forgotten. _

**Kipper out of Trouble**

_"Can't I come with you?"_

Sesshomaru recalled the first time little hands had tugged on his sleeve in supplication. Then how sharp claws showed them their place, seeking out the downy-white dog ears which had sat atop _that_ child's head.

"These are a _disgrace_." He wished to leave no doubt in Inuyasha's mind. The bastard son of their mutual father held no place in their family, much less at Sesshomaru's side. The day following their first encounter, the young Western Lord had regretted his impulse; the halfling's tattered ears would heal – he should've used poison.

Many years later, though, Sesshomaru decided his actions may have been extreme. But he could do nothing about the blood that seeped under his claws that day. And yet the daiyokai couldn't just shove the memory away back into the recesses of his mind as he had before. Not when it offered a sickening insight. From the corner of his vision, Sesshomaru glanced at Rin, her eyes still cast to the ground. He had to exhale slowly. He knew just how cruel and wretched the world was for hanyo and for the women who bore them.

The soft lush grass of spring slipped under heel as they neared the end of their trek. At least Rin followed this time. When they reached their old training grounds, Sesshomaru stopped. Without a word exchanged, he designated a spot for Rin to stand. Then slowly, without any sudden motions, he took the customary three paces toward her, unsheathing Tenseiga on the third step.

"Draw," he commanded when Rin didn't.

It took Rin a few seconds to register the actual events. _We're sparring? Right now? _Dumbly, she drew the venom blade. Well, Sesshomaru had told her to bring it along. What? Did she expect to have a conversation with him?

_I guess not. _

There was a high, keening _KLANG!_ as Sesshomaru knocked her sword aside, striking the air above her head, and completed one combination. Rin still stood motionless. He shoved against her blade, hard enough to make her stagger. "Wake up," he barked.

_It hurts too much to_. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru."

Rin gave one half-hearted shove. Sesshomaru didn't budge – it was like pushing against stone. His knuckles felt cold and hard. So she pushed again, this time with more force, and anger. Fractionally, ground was given.

Rin pushed again, took a step back, and swung at what looked like an opening. Sesshomaru blocked it easily. But she didn't feel threatened or even afraid that she wasn't performing as Sesshomaru expected. _Or maybe this is what he wants._ Rin just attacked again. No words were needed on this battleground. Each collision was a keening shout. _Why, Lord Sesshomaru? Why? Why? Why?_ The dissonant clashes of steel on iron-fang grew loud and grating. Dimly, Rin was aware that she might be damaging Sesshomaru's precious gift to her if she kept swinging like this. But she wasn't tired yet.

A disappointed frown creased Sesshomaru's mouth as he watched how Rin's anger reduced the fine blade into a dull piece of metal. All the care with which he had trained her splintered into only a short series of enraged strikes. _Is this all?_ He canted his head to one side as she took another swing. Rin returned his unvoiced question with what would have been a glare. _Except she falters._ No, she was missing his question completely, too clouded in her own thoughts. Rin's expression instead asked one of her own. And the daiyokai recognized it on sight.

_"Why, Father?" _

Sesshomaru backpedaled. He recovered quickly enough to deflect the next strike. _Will you continue to ignore me? _Sesshomaru already knew the answer to his own question.

Fluidly, he continued to take her sloppy strikes. Finally, with her breath coming in short gasps and sweat slicking her bangs against her brow, Sesshomaru let Rin come at him one last time. He shuffled aside and she missed him entirely. He had moved slowly enough that there wasn't even an afterimage to blame.

When Rin tripped and stumbled this time, she didn't clamor to her feet again. On her knees, she closed her eyes, trying to keep the ground from spinning. Only the knotwork on her sword's hilt provided an anchor to the world.

"Get up."

Rin nodded. But that was the only motion she made. Trying to catch her breath, she focused on inhaling slowly. There was no pride in gasps that shuddered like sobs. But she was tired and alone. Sesshomaru always understood everything, he wasn't supposed to abandon her like this.

There was a soft crunch of grass as someone knelt beside her. "Does it hurt?"

Again Rin nodded.

"And what does? Be exact." Sesshomaru's words remained cold and clipped.

Even in the warm sunlight Rin couldn't stop a shiver. "Everything. Everything hurts…It's like…I'm broken. Are you pleased now?" Rin wished she had the nerve to look Sesshomaru in the eye rather than the dandelion before her. But it wasn't worth it. She didn't want him to see her crying.

Sesshomaru could smell the wet salt on Rin's face. It was a reminder of why yokai weren't supposed to interfere. Why humans didn't coexist with them. Too much pain at the end of it. Slipping a pair of claws under her chin, Sesshomaru tilted Rin's face up. Her brown eyes, all puffy from crying, slid in the other direction. But Sesshomaru wasn't focused on that.

"So…everything hurts?" he asked casually. Still cupping her jaw in one hand, the daiyokai took the excess of one sleeve and, with a gentleness at odds with his claws, mopped up Rin's perspiration and tears. Cheeks, eyes, forehead, temples – he completed the circuit carefully. He could have been lacquering pottery. It should have been a trivial thing. But Rin's pulse was slowing. In smooth, even tones, Sesshomaru continued his explanation, and tried to polish out some of the confusion marring her expression. "This perpetual pain is merely a sampling of what awaits. Anger and confusion become your diet. Yokai may hunt you, but humans will exile you. They will never look past the choice you have made."

"Those are the consequences?" Rin's voice was a little muffled as Sesshomaru dabbed at some stray spittle.

The dog-demon nodded. Though his gaze mostly surveyed his work. At least Rin's face was clean, even if she still insisted on donning the cloth of commoners in her senseless rebellion. No, rags were never becoming of this girl. Ever so slightly, he eased back on his haunches. Even though Rin had grown big, Sesshomaru could still manage to cradle her as he had when he first revived Tenseiga's "test subject." _But no need to stoop to the ridiculous._ And decided Rin's hair needed fixing. These emotions weren't new to Sesshomaru, but they were somewhat estranged. There was something different about _giving_ attention, especially where a girl-child was concerned. When he finally had come to a truce with them, it was with careful vigilance. Watching Rin die a little every day since autumn wasn't how it was supposed to be. So he tried to explain his actions – even if they should have been self-explanatory. But Father had left only riddles and half-messages in his passing – Rin deserved better than that.

"And you wish to make the choice for me?" she asked.

Dragged back to the present, Sesshomaru's nose wrinkled into a barely checked snarl. And he dropped his hand from Rin's face. Maybe cryptic riddles were the way to go. It didn't seem like adolescents listened to much else. "I'm doing my job."

Now a bit more composed, Rin jutted out her chin defiantly. "And that would be…?"

_Protecting you and your better interests, little fool._ Sesshomaru stood up rigidly. "Save the petulance."

If he wished to express the whole of his affection it meant putting the very bearer of it in jeopardy. That was pure lunacy. Only a fool would endanger his most cherished person. Rin had shown him that, in this whole damned world with constant warfare and hard hearts, there was something good. Like a rosy carnation amidst the carnage of a battlefield. Sesshomaru was troubled enough by the eventual prospect of her mortality, but to condemn Rin to suffering before certain death…

_Unacceptable. _

Safety, security, surety – she wanted for nothing. _And yet she wants more._ For once, something which Sesshomaru couldn't provide her. By the same token, he knew that if he let her chase after it he may never have her back. A chunk of his soul, if not the very whole of it, irretrievably lost in some deep forest. "You are going to cast off your affiliation with me for a demon?"

Slowly, trying not to make any sudden motions, Rin rose to her feet. Replacing the Shadow Teeth into its scabbard, she strapped the sword her side before looking at Sesshomaru again. "Would you throw away yours with me because I chose a yokai spouse?"

Sesshomaru took in Rin's expression, the wavering in her scent, and quickly gave her his flank. Amber eyes glimmered for a moment, but not before Rin could read the mirrored message in them: _Will you forsake me?_

Sesshomaru wasn't sure. And not at the prospect that Rin might, but the idea of uncertainty at all…

"No," he answered straightaway. "…But aren't you content as it is?"

Rin held out her hands in an empty, supplicating gesture. "Lord Sesshomaru, contentment isn't equivalent to happiness."

"And short-lived self-delusion isn't worth a life's misery." Unable to stand in one place any longer, Sesshomaru paced away from the village. When he realized he was going toward the confounded brook, he whirled around and quickly changed course. Rin trotted after him, mostly hoping that keeping up with the daiyokai would keep him from frying the next poor creature in his path. Sesshomaru spoke as he walked. "When your cravings for companionship stir, there will be none found."

"Then maybe such humans would not be worthy of my time anyway. Because those that would turn me away for one yokai would then never truly respect my Lord Sesshomaru."

The daiyokai remained silent. But he stopped walking. "You will suffer loneliness." It should have been a question, but Sesshomaru knew better than to sugarcoat a fact.

"Since you've been aware of" – she waved her hand in lieu words – "all this, I've lost your support…Right now, I _am_ alone." Rin bit her lip willing her words to come out steady. "He made me smile."

Sesshomaru frowned. Such a triviality was no grounds for a partnership. His father had always acknowledged what a privilege it was to wed an intelligent female and she the opportunity to share ties with the New West. There was never any mention of smiles. "I think your pragmatism needs further development. If you can survive being bereft of your first selection."

_You mean your first selection._ "Kohaku never made me feel the way Kichiruka does."

Sesshomaru's invisible hackles rose at the name. "He's yokai, Rin. Your senses have probably been corrupted by it."

"Kichiruka wouldn't take advantage of such a thing," Rin huffed, taking umbrage on Kichiruka's behalf. "You witnessed it yourself. He's not like that."

The mane on Sesshomaru's shoulder visibly bristled. "Both parties were in a mutually compromising position."

"Is that what you really thought?" she challenged.

"Don't stray from the matter at hand," Sesshomaru snapped, then fell back into silence. "Rin." Sesshomaru turned. His face was schooled into its regular impassivity – simple lines of mouth and eyebrows and plains of patterned cheeks and forehead. But the guard on his gaze dropped. And it should have scared Rin to see the uncertainty and sadness that shook Sesshomaru's unflappable confidence. "You expect me to exile you."

"Because of one yokai?" Rin blinked…and laughed. It was short and a little abrupt, but it was still genuine laughter.

Sesshomaru frowned. "I fail to see what's so amusing."

"Lord Sesshomaru, what are _you?"_

In a very canine manner, the daiyokai cocked his head to one side.

With a smile, Rin gestured in his direction. "Last I checked you were a daiyokai, right? Then there's Master Jaken and Ah-Un…not to mention Shippo and Kilala. I don't think one more demon in _my_ company will much difference."

It could. It ought. Any yokai to who had an impact on another's livelihood…_What am I?_ Sesshomaru had always considered himself…special. Not that he ever stopped being his species around Rin, it just seemed…inconsequential. He knew there was a time when it was an issue. _"Who's the mortal brat?" "All this fuss for one human girl?" _He knew that the reason he left Rin in a human village was because she couldn't survive the lifestyle of a demon. But wherever they went, visited, strolled, practiced and sparred – he was less the Western Lord and more simply Rin's Lord Sesshomaru. As far as he was concerned, everyone seemed to know that, too. And if they didn't…really, what did that matter?

Now stark reality bit into the dog-demon's world. He could arm Rin to the teeth, but in the end Sesshomaru knew he was powerless in the minds of men.

"There is no guarantee you will find the happiness you seek," he said, soft and somewhat resigned.

"Then let me pursue it," Rin rallied for the point.

Sesshomaru folded his arms. "You have no inkling of the course you're choosing."

"I know, but please…"Rolling her shoulders, she readied herself, blade in perfect form. Then with the brightest smile she could manage, Rin recited Lord Sesshomaru's favorite words. "You're in my way."

.

_A/N: I don't know if I'll be able to promise an update for next week. I'll try, but finals are on the very near horizon for me. But I always finish a full story. I also thank you all for reading! I reply to all messages and reviews, just please make sure your private messaging settings are on. Also, since I don't own any of the InuYasha characters, I really don't mind what you do with these fanfics so long as story concept is credited to me (shout out to Maaai). Thanks again!_


	53. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

_A/N: Ah, done with finals! Yes, Dr. Seuss degeneration has found me at last. Though I must offer a nod toward a famous Emily Dickenson poem alluded to in this chapter as well._

**One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish**

Seawater rushed through his hair and over his skin in cold, numbing waves as Kichiruka swam as fast as his yoki could propel him. Coral, caves, clams, fish, _life_ – all blurred past him in a dizzying array. Without Rin what was the point of the empty hours? There wasn't any purpose to this exercise. If there was any destination, it was _away_. At first, Kichiruka wondered if this were part of some sort of wanderlust, the kind that had driven him from one coast to another when he was looking for others like him. But at the day's end, he always returned to the domain of Ichikawa near Mikan. Like a reverse undertow, he was always drawn _back_ to shore.

_I'm dwelling too long on this._ Kichiruka increased his speed. Then he felt the current around him slow, though the force of his yoki hadn't been reduced. _What's—?_ Suddenly, the slowing force retaliated in a shove its own, as if Kichiruka had been pushing against a force-field. It gave marginally, but then it rebuffed with ten times as much strength.

He spun out. Completely addled, Kichiruka drifted in space, trying to regain his bearings. Did I trip up on a barrier? Something that felt like a heavy cloak helped steady him. It was a little rough in texture, but it still had the familiar black coloring.

"Thanks, Master Ten—" Kichiruka darted out of the hold as soon as he realized exactly who had caught him.

Ichikawa's smile was meant to be disarming. Truly. "I'm sorry to detain you," he said, the horns that curved from his forehead still glowed a soft violet. _Presumably_, Kichiruka thought, _from creating the barrier that stopped me._

Though genuine concern tinted green-gray ocean eyes as the manta ray loftily continued, "Your recent melancholy has not gone without notice. What's wrong, my not-fish?"

Kichiruka defensively stretched a grin on his face. "Wrong? Nothing, m'lord! It's a nice day out, wouldn't you agree? What's to be wrong?"

"Dear Kichiruka, has anyone ever told you," Ichikawa said cheerfully as if offering a compliment, "that you're an exquisitely terrible liar?"

Kichiruka laughed nervously. "No. I was never praised in such a way before."

"Hmm…might not be too helpful right now, though." Spreading his wings enough to increase his size,Ichikawaasked, "Have you had any communication with Lord Sesshomaru of late?"

_Honestly?_ "No, my lord." Kichiruka might not be able to lie to the manta ray's face, but he could omit information. No need for Ichikawa to know how matter had proceeded.

"Why?"

"…Well…"

"Isn't it obvious?" Tensai's sharp tenor cut through the water as he swam to his student's defense. "Human and yokai relations are still unacceptable."

Ichikawa's eyebrows, which looked like little more than the dabs of a paintbrush, rose up to the root of his horns. He turned toward Kichiruka. "So, it's never going to happen?"

Tensai hated the way the way Ichikawaweighed so much sorrow into that sentence. And it had nothing to do with a relationship concerning Sesshomaru. _He's provoking the situation, selfish bastard. _Yellow eyes flashed a warning in Kichiruka's direction to keep silent. "We don't want to make undue enemies, now do we?"

Ichikawa pursed his lips, considering Tensai's remark in whole. "Perhaps you're right. It won't do to have a failed project lingering here. May stir the waters too much."Ichikawaplaced a fin under Kichiruka's chin and sighed. "Ah, what am I going to do with you now? We've already found a replacement jester. I suppose I could sell you. My wife wants a new Persian rug."

Kichiruka winced. "I'm only worth the price of a rug?"

"On second thought, we might only get half a box of opium considering…"

"He can stay."

In a movement that left his shoulder-length hair swirling, Ichikawa turned to his surly spell-caster. "Tensai, you didn't even want him to begin with. Has he grown on you?"

"Like a cancer," the swordfish drawled, not bothering to so much as glance at Kichiruka. "Am I to waste my time training someone anew? With all due respect, Lord Ichikawa, I'm not getting any younger."

The daiyokai laughed. "You do have an indefinite lifespan."

Tensai harrumphed. A lot of good that had done him.

"Ah, but I suppose I should grow to resent any subject of mine who becomes indispensible. We'll need a stand-in for you, eh Tensai?" A black wing waved indulgently. "Oh, fine, fine – keep your boy-toy."

Tensai's face twisted in disgust. "He's not my—"

Before he completed his protest, Ichikawa's wings spread to their full, tremendous span and in one great sweep, the daiyokai left a small whirlpool in his wake. His subjects were still spinning long after he had vanished.

As soon as regained orientation, Tensai wasted no time in bashing Kichiruka upside the head. "I hope you're happy, nitwit."

Stars exploding into his vision for the second time that day, Kichiruka cradled his skull. "Actually, I'm in pain…"

"I can't believe I compromised my reputation for your idiocy. Now damn Ichikawa thinks I'm as depraved and indifferent as he is."

"Oh, he's probably just teasing. I think he was serious about the replacement thing." Then, more innocently, Kichiruka asked, "Indifferent?"

"To swing both—ah, never mind. Go ask a clownfish or a sea snail." Caudal fin pumping, Tensai headed back toward home. Behind him, at not too far a distance, he could sense Kichiruka drifting after him.

"Quite a ways to have gone out to sea," Tensai observed as they finally entered his study some time later.

The dolphin yokai nodded listlessly.

Although he already knew the answer, Tensai still asked, "Looking for anything in particular?"

"No."

"Well," Tensai said, settling himself behind his stone desk and started sorting the ensorcelled documents he had left scattered earlier. "Ichikawa's right about one thing – you're a miserable liar."

"Thank you, master," Kichiruka said with just a touch of sarcasm.

Tensai went about his business, setting his student to the task of helping him organize. And, at length, Kichiruka started talking. "I look at the spaces between my fingers and can only imagine how perfectly hers would fit there…It's just…"

"Irritating, I know," Tensai gruffly completed.

"I was going to say depressing." Kichiruka smirked mirthlessly. "But I still hang around, you know? 'Cause I feel as if…like what if I'm not here? And she comes looking for me…Then what? I know how it feels to keep searching and searching for something or someone who's not there. To be lost."

Although he now attended to sorting several jars and other wares, Tensai tilted his head, listening. He didn't have much information on Kichiruka's past. He knew the boy was something of a stray, but whenever anything that may have hinted to his history came up Kichiruka usually waved off the subject, laughed about it. Made light of _himself_.

"I thought I could offer her another option. Just in case." Kichiruka laughed. "It's st-stupid, I know."

Before the silence stretched too long, Tensai suddenly injected. "No, Kichiruka, you're absolutely right."

"Sir?"

"…The worst thing you could possibly do, and I know you'll hear otherwise no matter where you go, but the cruelest fault you could commit would be to deny a woman her sovereignty." After holding Kichiruka's gaze for minute, Tensai's eyes quickly dropped. That was all he would say on the subject. He got up and drifted toward the vials on the far high shelf.

"Memories?"

Tensai barked a rough _ha!_ and swept the vials aside, reaching for the gourd stashed far behind them. "Something to suppress such things," he said, his chuckles coming in odd jerky spasms.

Kichiruka wondered if his teacher's laughter would ever be complete.

"I took everything from her. It was I who failed to provide her with a son." Tensai considered the drink in one hand, and dropped it to his side. "Damn, I'm too tired to imbibe right now."

Kichiruka slipped toward the exit.

"Where are you going? I did say you could stay."

Laughing in his odd dolphin cackle, Kichiruka teased, "You wanna give Ichikawa something to talk about?"

In good humor, Tensai lobbed the gourd at Kichiruka so it bounced off his head. "Don't tarnish my hospitality, idiot." _But why the hell am I sheltering him anyway? _True, he felt someone had to be strong for Kichiruka, but…_"I've always wanted a boy." _Tensai shook his head in private mortification. He hoped he hadn't disclosed such a thing aloud.

Idly, Kichiruka spun the gourd on his finger for a moment before setting it under the stone desk where he knew his teacher would find it later. "Master Tensai?"

"What is it?" he snapped, now irritable with his own dissonance.

Kichiruka traced the moss out of one of the desk's engravings, carefully considering his words. "They say time heals all wounds."

Tensai blinked, barely suppressing his bitter laugh. What a lie! Time never did assuage…Sores only worsened with it. If it did heal anything, then that just goes to show there never was a malady. But he looked Kichiruka's way and for the first time felt the obligation to lie to his student. He was much better at it, too.

"So it does," Tensai said coolly. And when Kichiruka smiled at him, he couldn't help but reciprocate. _Because we don't know what new remedies may come to us in due time. _"It does."

And, in some ways, that was the whole truth.

oOo

Deep inside the dormantMountKaena, Sesshomaru navigated his way toward the source of the hot, sulfuric air – the respiration of the hound at the volcano's base. It had not even yet been a full year since his last visit and the dog-demon's stiff-legged gait stamped his irritability. Never had he ventured this regularly to see anyone on his mother's side in such close succession. He barely visited his own mother for that matter. When there was another inhale, a break from the blast of foul breath, he made a go for it down the last bend in the cavern. Delicately, Sesshomaru sprang over the puddle of luminous green drool and, with a burst of yoki, landed on the ancient dog's nose.

The wet ground beneath his boots quivered and Sesshomaru quickly crossed to the rest of the furred snout. _Wouldn't want him to sneeze._

"Grandfather," he barked to be heard over the snoring. "Grandfather!"

**_"I hear thee…whelp,"_** came the graveled growl. Of all his grandchildren to visit it him why did it have to be only the whiny ones that kept their ties? **_"How now?"_**

"Unchanged since last seen." _Or smelled, in your case._ Sesshomaru still wasn't sure what was left of the old hound's vision.

**_"Huh. Unchanged to be sure. Trouble still cloaks thee."_**

Sesshomaru snorted. And started to deeply reconsider if this visit were worth the time and energy.

**_"Come now…I canst read the minds of my own kin,"_** rumbled the ancient dog-demon when no reply was heard. With a gusty sigh, he tried humoring his grandson. **_"Is the question called a daughter-who-thinks-like-a-son?"_**

"Yes," Sesshomaru relented and ground his fangs. _And she's acting like a fool._ "She has made a selection against my better judgment."

**_"A lower class?"_**

"A prohibited one."

**_"Seh-sho-maru…"_** the old dog carefully enunciated. **_"do not lie to thine grandfather…My eyes may no longer sight down the stars nor my ears pick off a knotworm, but I can smell the human on you and the affection in your voice. You have no daughter by birth. To that end…you haven't anyone to protect." _**

Sesshomaru didn't flare his yoki, but it crackled enough to get the point across.

**_"Mind yourself, puppy,"_** he woofed. **_"Mayhap blood makes not a drop of difference either. After all, what is a daughter but eventually someone else's property?"_**

"She isn't property."

**_"No?...Then be it more fitting if she were? Property doth not protest. Property feels never pain. Property remains wherever set. And there content, property stays safe."_**

A tic jumped in Sesshomaru's jaw. "The suitor is yokai."

**_"Red or blue – what matters the color of a fish if it still provides a good meal? Even if only for one night it is remembered with fond satisfaction."_** Head lolling to one side, the old dog prepared to fall back into his slumber when an idea struck him. **_"What dost thou meant 'prohibited' class? Thine charge be a human?"_**

Ever unflappable, the Western Lord simply shrugged. "Brilliant deduction."

The snout beneath Sesshomaru's boots quaked with a snort. **_"How dare you wake me for this! If you're so weak as to be sundered by a simple human affair, I weep to think what has befallen our proud line. Sesshomaru, get thee gone. 'Tis past cruel to make an old hound want for sleep."_** That said, the dog-demon tipped to his side creating a thunderous rockslide and no doubt a shift in the geography above. Condensing his energy into one small, bright sphere, Sesshomaru took his leave before his exit was closed forever.

.

_A/N: Ah, sleepy old dogs. He speaks in **bold italics!** This chapter is partially owed to Robot and Capone, who not only have the coolest names I've heard for dogs but also tolerated my enthusiastic petting despite being well into their later doggie years. Nice meeting you two! _

_Pictures for the readers' enjoyment: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d3itejq and feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d3d8oe6_

_Thank you for reading! See you all in a week! _


	54. Starkist, Starcrossed

_A/N: Title owed to a popular brand of canned tuna. Oh yeah, and the Bard. _

**Starkist, Star-crossed**

The brisk pace Sesshomaru set since he placed Mount Kaena at his back dwindled as the days stretched on. He would have to collect Jaken and Ah-Un soon – he hadn't forgotten. This evening, however, as he passed the familiar sights and scents, the dog-demon was acutely aware he neared Rin's village instead.

But Sesshomaru stopped short of the human settlement, remaining on the hillock that overlooked it. _What difference does the color of a fish make, huh?_ As far as Sesshomaru was concerned, a world of difference. He wasn't simply going to tell Rin she could do as she pleased. Not on this matter. This required some sort of discussion.

But full moon was high in the night sky. Typically, Rin was asleep by this hour. And Sesshomaru knew if he gave any hint of willingness to reconsider, she would not fall asleep for the rest of night. But the prospect of Rin's smile came to mind. How overjoyed she would be. Because she valued his approval as well.

The grass whispered softly underfoot. _It's too late for this_. But Sesshomaru knew Rin wouldn't mind losing sleep this once.

oOo

There was a time not too long ago that Rin went to sleep early and woke just as the last stars faded into dawn. But her life had been flipped on its head since then and now she stood up late into the night staring at the stars. She reasoned that the full moon made it far too bright to actually fall asleep. And the spring nights were a little too chilly for comfort.

No, she didn't believe it either.

Sesshomaru hadn't returned since their last sparring session in a fortnight now. While Rin didn't want to press him, she grew more impatient to at least hear from him. Sesshomaru might have been speaking to her again, but she still felt alone.

But most importantly, when would she see Kichiruka again? Tomorrow? Never? Rin got up and paced. It was late, but she didn't feel a bit tired. She stepped outside. There was a small bench on one side, beside it was the half-filled water bucket Rin kept near for everyday utility. The sight of the water reminded Rin of how Kichiruka would pop out of the oddest places – invariably finding his way to her. The tears welled up in Rin's eyes. The simplicity of happiness somehow seemed like all the splendor in the world. It was such a simple wish.

"Kichiruka…I _wish_ you were here."

Suddenly, the little bucket beside the bench began to shudder. The water inside bubbled. Then the water swirled in a small column, before tightening into a definitive form. In a single pulse, the water dispersed. And eyes that danced like sapphire sparkled back.

"Yes? Rin d—Whoa!" Realizing just how small the bucket was, Kichiruka lost his balance and crashed to the ground in one soggy heap. "Hi, Rin."

Rin laughed at Kichiruka's abrupt and characteristically comic entrance. "You came back!" She sprang into his arms, kissing him full and deeply.

Gently pulling away before he forgot himself, Kichiruka held Rin's gaze. "No," he corrected. "I am fulfilling a long overdue promise." When Rin blinked blankly at him, Kichiruka combed his fingers through her hair. "Day one: You, me, a net, and one over-the-top offer I made to grant your wish."

"Yeah, I remember." Rin smiled sadly. "I don't care about that anymore."

"Well, you kinda used it right now…"

She buried her face into his shoulder. "I want you to stay."

"I know." Kichiruka was afraid she'd say that. And he would have been past repair if she hadn't. "You've also been dreaming about me lately." He grinned clownishly.

Rin arched a brow. "Have you been spying on me?"

Blue eyes fluttered in mock innocence. "I don't think it qualifies as spying if you love the person."

"Kichiruka, that's what stalkers say!" she said, playfully socking him in the arm.

"Haven't you missed me?" he teased.

Rin folded her arms and feigned loftiness. "Not a bit." With a little huff, she plopped beside him on the bench. Still keeping her nose in the air, of course.

"Well, I've missed everything about you!" Kichiruka scooted closer. "I've missed your toes, I've missed your ankles, I've missed your calves, I've missed your thighs, I've missed your…intellect."

Rin laughed, gently shoving him off her lap.

"I guess I've missed you a little," she conceded.

Kichiruka grinned broadly. "I knew it!" Placing his hands flatly on the bench, Kichiruka pushed himself up to kiss Rin quickly.

"I think, Lord Sesshomaru, might let me keep you."

"Really?" Kichiruka tried to curb his enthusiasm.

"Well…" Rin's expression spoke a million words at once. And Kichiruka felt their hopes crumble immediately.

"Will you still come for me? I'll stay right here."

Kichiruka fumbled for the right words. What if it just kept straining her relationship with Sesshomaru? He remembered when they first met, Rin's priorities rested on Sesshomaru's discretion and her closest confidant, her source of support, was him. Lately, Kichiruka believed that he was getting a little better at understanding what it meant to have someone looking out for you. How invaluable it was. "Rin, don't put your life on hold. I'm not worth…"

"Will you or not?" she demanded, standing up now.

Kichiruka didn't know if he had the right answer. But he was sure of what Rin wanted. Slowly getting to his feet, he tipped her head back and kissed her. Kichiruka took his time. When his hands began to wander, Rin didn't protest. He hoped that she wanted to savor his touch as much as he wanted to memorize every curve and tweak in her body. Just in case they never had this chance again. All they needed was for Sesshomaru to come out of nowhere and…

A low growl rumbled just behind Kichiruka.

_Ah, jinxed it…_

A ripple went down Sesshomaru's mane. "I was considering a reevaluation based on character, but I can see that would be a vain pursuit."

"Lord Sesshomaru, I asked for him to come here!" Rin tried, but Sesshomaru ignored her, effectively pealing her off the other yokai.

Kichiruka knew what was coming next. He tried to duck, but the deadly claws swung out faster. And bright blood splattered on Rin.

"Kichiruka!"

Skidding backward from his last-second dodge, Kichiruka felt as if he had been scorched by hellfire. Three deep gashes burned across one cheek. Could've been worse, though. He was pretty sure Sesshomaru meant to take out his head.

Sparing a glance at Rin, Sesshomaru mustered some consideration for her predicament. "Rin, go inside."

"No." She folded her arms and planted her feet in a defiant stance. "I'm staying here."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, but he made no comment. He was done with courtesy. If Rin wanted to watch, she could – there was the choice she so dearly desired.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, Rin called out, "Kich', get going now!"

Kichiruka hesitated. If he left now would he ever see Rin again? And what about her relationship with Sesshomaru? If he kept returning, he would no doubt ruin it. Damn, this _was_ a mistake.

Claws that glowed a bright green were outlined in the dark. Sesshomaru sped forward.

Uselessly, Kichiruka backpedaled on the dry earth. There wasn't any water in the immediate vicinity. He cursed under his breath. Last year, Tensai had told him not to do this, that it shaved years off his life. _But there's nothing for it…_ Calling up the water of his own constitution, Kichiruka spun the conch staff and created an ice wall, buying precious seconds as Sesshomaru struck at the barrier instead.

"What are you waiting for?" Rin shouted. _He should've teleported with that water!_

In one mad dash, Kichiruka slid toward the original puddle he had created upon arrival. "Will you be happy just knowing I'm alive?"

"You think I _want_ to see you dead?"

Kichiruka decided it was a good enough answer.

Sesshomaru's whip cracked…but it disturbed only the space where Kichiruka had been a heartbeat before.

_Please, Rin dear, please take care of yourself. _

oOo

"Why do you hate him so much?" The bloodstain on her yukata was still wet. But Rin didn't feel like cleaning it out. Not right now.

"That _scum_ isn't worthy," Sesshomaru spat. "He vows to leave and I return to see him…taking liberties with you." Sesshomaru wished he could rid his nose of the sea-salt smell. "His word is dirt. He is entirely unfit."

"That's the only time he's been here since."

"Don't lie to me, Rin," Sesshomaru hissed.

"I'm not!" Rin knew trust could take years to build and seconds to destroy. This one incident was enough for the daiyokai. If Sesshomaru's was in shambles, then Rin's faith in him was in worse condition. In her mind's eye, Sesshomaru had grown only increasingly stubborn. Any consideration he may have shown was only pretext. He never meant anything by it. Rin had known adults who made promises and broke them all the time. Sesshomaru wasn't any different. _Reconsideration indeed! _

"And you didn't have to try and kill him in front of me," she added.

"I told you to go inside." Sesshomaru spoke coolly.

"No! I'm not taking orders from you anymore!"

Sesshomaru ground his teeth. She was trying him again. Where Rin was concerned, the daiyokai's patience was vast. _But it is not boundless_.

Stepping closer, but limiting his voice to smooth, icy tones, Sesshomaru issued his final warning. "If he returns, I will not hesitate to kill him. Whether or not you are present."

"I'm not leaving this spot," Rin declared.

Last year, the disapproval in Sesshomaru's glare would have drawn a prompt apology from Rin. She would have changed her opinion straightaway to match his approbation. But it wasn't last year anymore. She held his gaze.

Sesshomaru had to remind himself that Rin wasn't a canine. She was still too young and foolish to understand. Suppressing a sigh, Sesshomaru shook his head once. Then took his leave.

Eventually, dawn peeked over the horizon. And Rin was still outside. If something was certain, she could be patient. When Kichiruka returned to her side again, she would be waiting.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! As per a reader's suggestion, a sketch of Sesshomaru's grandfather may be found here:_ feral-instinct. deviantart. com/art/Old-Dogs-Hooked-214964718


	55. BellyUp

_A/N: I'm afraid to say it, but I think we all know someone like Ichikawa. _

**Belly-Up**

As soon as Kichiruka had completed the transition back to the ocean, the ache in his chest was quickly overcome by a searing pain in his cheek. "YEOWCH!" An intense stinging wrecked havoc on Kichiruka's nervous system the second that the saltwater made contact with the open slashes Sesshomaru left.

Making his way into his capsized ship, Kichiruka slid the door shut on the little red clouds of blood that trailed after him. _Why hasn't it closed yet?_ For yokai, even common ones, most wounds developed scabs in a few minutes. By the next day only a shiny scar would be evidence of any altercation.

Fumbling through his own assortment of jars and cures with one hand on his cheek, Kichiruka searched hastily for some sort of coolant just to ease the searing pain. He came up empty-handed. And clenched his teeth.

_But I'm not about to crying to anyone about this. _

oOo

"Such a fool," Tensai grumbled as he dabbed on some salve. "If you had come to me sooner we could have prevented any permanent scarring."

Kichiruka gritted his teeth as his teacher rubbed in the poultice over the sore scratches on his cheek. "It's going to scar?"

"Now it will." The swordfish heaved an exasperated sigh. "There was venom in the laceration. You were lucky to only get a brush of it otherwise this whole side of your face should be gone."

Kichiruka gulped.

"You know," Tensai said, applying a final coating, "I've heard of lovers who are into this sort of physical taxation, but don't you think this is a bit extreme?"

Kichiruka smirked at his instructor's dry attempt at humor. Then winced when fresh pain made it clear one side of his face wasn't ready to smile yet.

Tensai folded his arms, his expression serious again. "So, what happened?"

Kichiruka fiddled with some stray kelp peeking from under a rock. "I was with Rin and then Lord Sesshomaru just shows up…"

"You weren't aware a demon of _that_ stature was drawing close?"

"I was, uh, kinda distracted."

Large, yellow eyes rolled irritably.

"Well, I mean, we were only…geez, y'know, the same thing you do when you think you're alone with a woman."

"You were doing all _that?_" Tensai looked positively appalled.

"Huh?" It took Kichiruka a moment to register the implications. "Master Tensai, you have such a dirty mind! _No_."

Before Tensai could retort, a ripple went through his study, heralding a visitor at the door. The swordfish slapped a hand over his eyes and it was no stretch of the imagination who had drifted on by to pay him a cheerful how-thee-do.

Without waiting for a proper invitation, Ichikawa forced his way through the security barrier in one violent pulse of yoki. When he entered, however, it was with his most affable of smiles.

"Oh come now, Kichiruka, you know he's sexually repressed." There was no accounting for Ichikawa's offhand greetings.

Tensai squared his jaw and glared. "Lord Ichikawa, if you continue making such remarks I will withdraw my services."

"Ah, very well. My mistake anyway." The daiyokai waved his fin as if he were batting a fly. "I forgot that you're of the domestic persuasion, correct?"

Kichiruka had to restrain his teacher before he did anything rash. Sesshomaru's aura may have been an inferno, but when he was upset Tensai's blazed strong enough to rattle every glass and ceramic in the cavern. "Master Tensai, please!" Kichiruka begged. "It was just an observation. Is there any reason to deny…"

"It's that sort of attitude, you naïve fool," Tensai snapped at Kichiruka, "that screws over any sort of chance you have with Rin. And damn this deranged, manipulative, overgrown tadpole! I swear to –"

Ichikawa cleared his throat. "I don't mind admitting to my eccentric tastes and opportunism, but I do resent being called an oversized tadpole. I'm a manta ray," he said primly.

Tensai was about to continue his tirade without a care when the horns on Ichikawa's crown glowed a bright violet. Eyes flashing as he looked toward the cavern's exit, the daiyokai bit down on his lower lip. "_Mierde_."

Kichiruka's ears flexed at the foreign word. It sounded like the same tone Master Tensai used for over to the glowing sphere the swordfish kept to observe ongoing outside activity. And what Kichiruka often employed to "spy" on Rin.

Whatever he saw didn't lighten the shadows onIchikawa's face. "Kichiruka, stay in here with your instructor." Without even a gibe or grin, the ocean lord rippled out of the room.

Once Ichikawa was gone, Tensai straightened a bit, although he didn't say good riddance. "You know what it is, don't you?" Tensai looked at Kichiruka, eyeing his pupil's searching gaze.

"Something's here." The spikes on the top of Kichiruka's head quivered. "Lord Ichikawa is putting up a barrier, I guess."

Tensai nodded gravely. "This is the third time in the past two years he's had to protect us to this extent. And when I say 'us' I mean everyone in his territory." "I've always wondered,"

Kichiruka said, tugging pensively on one of his long silver bangs, "What is it exactly that Lord Ichikawa does?"

"His wings expand," Tensai said. "I don't know if it's unique to him, but one of Ichikawa's techniques is that he can cover his entire domain and make us dim to any threats."

"You mean invisible long enough for danger to pass?"

Tensai nodded. "Something like that." Whatever sort of yokai or being was passing through Ichikawa near Mikan wasn't prepared to chance a fight. _This is why he's so set on Sesshomaru alliance, hm?_ He fingered his black sleeve. "Going dim – not quite invisible – is one of the properties ofIchikawa's skin."

Kichiruka wondered if one of the materials that went into creating his teacher's robe. But instead he asked a better question. "Master Tensai, if you don't really like Lord Ichikawa how come you hang around here still?"

Tensai shrugged. "We have an…understanding."

"You said that you were denied candidacy as a Master of Arcane Arts." Kichiruka tilted his head to one side. "Did he assist you in…?"

"Lord Ichikawa likes to make his bets." Tensai laughed gruffly, sidestepping the question. "And whatever he sees in something, even if it only seems like some mad hope, he astounds everyone by bringing something out of nothing. You're a good poster child for that, Kichiruka," he added as a bit of an insult to neutralize any praise that might be mixed in. Naturally, his student completely missed it.

"Why, Master Tensai!" Kichiruka said, mimickingIchikawa's droll register. "That almost sounds like admiration for our sovereign lord!"

Tensai snorted. "Oh, I hate Ichikawa," he said, leaving no question in his tone. "But I have only the deepest regard for the Lord of Mikan who never forgets his people." While he spoke Tensai smoothed out a scroll, this one with different designs of his patterned floor highlighted. "Get me matrixes ten and one-eighty-six."

Kichiruka complied. "Are we helping him?"

"I'm just earning my keep." That said, Tensai focused on coating the proper grooves on the floor and finding the right incantations.

oOo

A full day had passed since she last saw him, but Rin had known Kichiruka to run late before. For the time being, she stocked up on fresh water and basic necessities. Then sat down to wait. She had her first visitor in just an hour.

"You remind me of a little kid waiting for the New Year to come," Shippo commented around a mouthful of baked lizard.

Rin gave a small "heh," but didn't say much else.

"Want some?" Shippo offered her a bite of his treat, but she silently declined. A spinning top and a solitary game that involved sticks and stones later, and Shippo lost interest. "I'll come back when you're moving around again, mk?"

Rin waved him goodbye. By dusk her head was drooping. Kichiruka would come back. Rin scratched a mosquito bite on her arm. She probably shouldn't have left the water uncovered. There were two bites so far, another one on her ankle, but other than that there wasn't much discomfort. Rin sneezed. _Okay, and maybe hay fever_. But so long as Sesshomaru was bent on killing Kichiruka on sight, Rin would not leave her post.

A loud gurgle erupted from her stomach. _Quiet, you. _

"Hey, kid," Inuyasha called as he approached. "What the hell do you think you're doin'?"

Rin looked up from over her knees where she sat curled up. "You got eyes. What's it look like?"

Inuyasha's ears pricked forward. "Hey, leave the wise-ass remarks to me." He clicked his claws impatiently along Tetsusaiga's scabbard. "So what's up?"

"I'm waiting," Rin said with all the explanatory prowess of her guardian. The thought of the similarity annoyed her, so she elaborated, "Lord Sesshomaru said he would kill Kichiruka the next time he saw him. I'm waiting here to prevent that and, if need be, go with Kichiruka."

Inuyasha cast a pleading glance to the heavens. "Ri-ight. And you think you can out-stubborn Sesshomaru?"

"It's not about that." Rin frowned and stared straight ahead before adding, "Besides you get into pissing contests with him all the time."

"Watch your damn mouth," Inuyasha snapped. "He's my bastard half-brother. We do that shit."

"And does it ever really have a point?" Rin remarked.

"Yeah, usually my life…" The words sounded hollow in Inuyasha' own ears. It had been a while since Sesshomaru had tried to kill him, but the memories were still there. It certainly wasn't _that_ long ago.

Rin tugged at the collar of her yukata that still had her friend's blood on it. "And this case has Kichiruka's life at stake."

With a gusty sigh, Inuyasha roughly combed his claws through his bangs. Damn, he had told Kagome from the get-go not to encourage any of this between stuff between Rin and her vapor-brained boyfriend. The kid took after Sesshomaru way too frigging much to know when to call it quits. _Damn hopeless little…_ "Lookit, brat, I want you to know right now that I think what you're doing is stupid. We've got a small virus outbreak and Kagome's tryin' her best to keep it quarantined. Said something about minding our emu systems or something."

"Immune system," Rin corrected, remembering from her biology book. She sneezed again. _Blasted pollen_.

"Well hell, if you already know all that then take better frickin' care of yourself." Inuyasha jabbed an accusing claw in Rin's direction. "You're looking kinda warm, too."

"I'm fine!" she growled.

"Whatever." Inuyasha tossed his mane to one side and sauntered off. He should've known that someone who followed around a creep like Sesshomaru wouldn't give up on too many other people either. "We'll come by every now and then to sweep the cobwebs from around ya."

_And Kichiruka will be back before then_, Rin thought.

.

_A/N: Thank you for reading! Lookee: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d3l3tnx I also hate to diffuse drama in a story, but I kept thinking of this commercial while writing: youtube. com/watch?v=Siz4Q-valXk_


	56. Taken Eel

_A/N: And here's an update!_

**Taken Eel**

Rin pressed a palm to her forehead where her bangs matted with sweat. It had been about a day since Kagome had last checked on her. _And I sort of wish she were here now._ The spring sunshine was beautiful, but Rin felt strangely ill in its warmth. The ground wouldn't stay level with the sky. It seemed with every passing hour her queasiness increased. She loosened her collar. It was supposed to be a mild day, she could feel the breeze comb through her hair. _So why is it so hot? _

_Maybe I should get some fresh water._ Flies had already laid claim to the last bucket. But the nearest well seemed miles away. Rin's fatigue encroached upon her with all the ferocity of a full battalion. But she refused to move.

The same faith Rin had in Sesshomaru when she was a child now worked against her. Just as she remembered that he would always return for her regardless of the circumstances, she was that certain he would kill Kichiruka on sight without a qualm. Sesshomaru never gave his word lightly – Rin had once loved him for it, now she only wanted him to be as pretentious as any other person.

She rubbed her eyes. Her throat burned. She needed something to slake the thirst. She needed water.

_I'll get up in a little bit…_

Rin never did.

oOo

Nose sniffing quickly for accurate samples, Sesshomaru studied the wind currents like the way most humans read road signs.

"Something the matter, m'lord?" Jaken asked. It looked like a perfectly fine day to him. The imp tried to follow his lordship's line of vision – difficult from his vertically challenged standpoint – but it was no stretch of the imagination to guess who crossed Sesshomaru's mind.

"Do you think it's…?"

"Hang on," came the stern order.

Jaken reacted only in time to grab hold of the tail end of Sesshomaru's great mane. The next second, they flew high above the earth. No more than four heartbeats later, Sesshomaru arrived at a little human village. He found Inuyasha, the miko, and the monk bustled around Rin's still form. For a full second, anxiety arrested the daiyokai's nerves. His worst nightmare coming to fruition. It wasn't a monster or any tangible foe that threatened Rin's life – it was simply a mortal's failing health. A human fault.

"Do we keep her out here?"

"Get her inside!"

"But she's burning up! Shouldn't we stay outdoors?"

"Hey, Sesshomaru, pass us your heart. Rin looks like she could use a block of ice."

Recovering himself, Sesshomaru pushed past Inuyasha and scooped Rin up to take her indoors. She felt featherweight light. It was often said that the body weighed less after the soul had departed. Sesshomaru bit his lip to clear the irrational thought. Rin was still breathing, therefore she was still alive. _But for how much longer?_ Sesshomaru wondered, seeing the feverish blush that turned her cheeks scarlet. Rin groaned in discomfort at the pressure on her hot skin.

_The fever is intensifying._ Sesshomaru felt a chill go down his spine that he wished could be transferred to Rin. Gently, he laid her down on the wooden planked floor. Hopefully that would be cool enough to start. He reached for where he knew she kept the fans he gave her each year. And tried to ignore that he had to push aside a small collection to seashells to reach them.

"Has any treatment been administered?" Sesshomaru asked, looking at the priestess and incidental medic in their midst, and drawing attention away from his vain attempt to bring down Rin's temperature.

Kagome nodded vigorously, wringing out a towel Inuyasha had brought for cold compress. "I gave her some medicine as soon as we found her. It's meant to bring down fevers. I also brewed some tea for antibodies, but that won't be effective unless we can get her temperature to go down."

"Is it working?" Sesshomaru tried not to growl when he said it.

Trying to avoid the dog-demon's eyes, Kagome mumbled the words she hated telling ailing patients and their family. "I don't know."

About an hour later, everyone was sure the medicine wasn't working. Rin's fever had progressed to the point where she recoiled at the slightest touch. Sesshomaru knew there were many ways to die, but he had never witnessed the toll of an illness in such rapid time. Months and years, yes, for a wasting sickness.

"How?" Sesshomaru demanded.

"Waiting for her boyfriend, duh."

Amber eyes fixed a fiery glare on Inuyasha.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Miroku smoothly intervened, "I think what your little brother is trying to say is that Rin fell ill from natural exposure in waiting to intercept what was to be certain death from your hand upon someone she holds dear."

"Are you insinuating a blame upon me, monk?" Enough yoki rose from the daiyokai to lift the silver bangs on his crown. But when Rin groaned at the heated tension, he immediately recalled it.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Miroku looked serenely at the addled demon. "It's not blame, my lord. I am simply producing a cause. You did ask for it, didn't you?"

The instant Sesshomaru dropped his gaze from Miroku's jet black eyes to Rin he could feel his crutch of pride crumble. Only the final splinters would keep him from admitting: _I suppose I did_.

oOo

The runes on the alabaster floor still held a faint glow from their earlier use. Spells usually weren't supposed to be canted for days on end. It was exhausting. But Tensai only half-dozed on one end of the room, stubbornly fending off sleep. He didn't like dreaming.

After a handful of hours, Kichiruka stirred. He yawned. "Still awake?"

"Now I am," the swordfish snapped, though he hadn't slept a wink.

And Kichiruka knew better. "Y'know, that might explain why you're so cranky, master. They say if you don't maintain personal care—"

"Oh, shut it."

Kichiruka did as told. For about two minutes. "Was wondering…"

"Hrm?"

"How is it that someone like Ichikawa, a greater demon, is able to make use our power?" Kichiruka tugged on a top spike. "I thought he has at most just control over water."

"We _are_ water," Tensai said matter-of-factly. "Our very bodies are conduits for many elements."

"Oh." Kichiruka had heard his fellow sea yokai claim to be water and he always understood it to be a statement among brethren, but Tensai meant it in the literal sense. While humans liked to think they were the spitting image of the gods themselves – "More like the _spit_ than the image," many demons guffawed – yokai, in the broad sense, were manifestations of nature. They prided themselves in their affiliation to the natural world of raw power, with everything from an earth-bound monster to a soul-sucking spirit.

"So," Kichiruka said, "as water some things transfer more easily through us?"

"Yes; such as how you use your own life substance to bring forth material water." The swordfish spoke with pronounced irritation.

They had been through this before. Kichiruka sighed. "I had to make sure she was okay."

Tensai growled and looked like he wanted to say something insulting; instead he made only a frustrated gesture. "I'm going to check in with Ichikawa." Swishing out through the central exit, Tensai left in a huff.

Alone in his instructor's study, Kichiruka's attention drifted to the "spy" sphere. Running his fingertips over the glowing surface, he asked to see Rin. For a moment the colors swam then cleared to reveal a bird's eye view of their subject's exact location. But much to Kichiruka's horror she wasn't nearly in the condition he had hoped. Her face might have been flushed, but the color of her wrist was a pallor Kichiruka only saw on the underbellies of fish. It certainly wasn't a shade meant for humans.

Kichiruka's brow knit in concern. Rin must have been neglecting herself to get to such a stage. _She really hadn't moved since I last saw her? _

His heart pounded, Kichiruka was dimly aware he was wasting time trying to figure out just how Rin could have gotten so sick so quickly. _"Humans are vulnerable creatures…" And what can I do now?_

"Kichi…ruka." The water demon's ears flexed at the sound his name falling from Rin's lips. Then he saw that Sesshomaru was right beside her, and the way his face tightened at the raspy, unconscious request. He wasn't pleased her selection of bedside visitors.

_But she wants me there. _

And come hell, high water, or Sesshomaru, Kichiruka knew he would never forgive himself if he ignored this last wish.

oOo

His tiny claws working the grooves on the Staff of Two Heads, Jaken watched from his place across the room. Lord Sesshomaru had already reprimanded him once for pacing and warned that the next admonition would set him outside. Jaken sat still. He had seen Rin dead before and while he didn't know if he could bear to watch her die permanently, he would not miss being there when the moment came. _But it won't! Lord Sesshomaru will fix it._ But when the daiyokai tried to touch his fingers to her forehead, Rin moaned in distress. And only repeated that damnable name again.

"Hey, Sesshomaru?"

Amber eyes slanted Inuyasha's way.

"Worst case scenario, can't you just use Tenseiga and bring her back?"

Sesshomaru gave his best effort to quell his demonic energy, but he still had to speak around elongated fangs. "'Just use Tenseiga,' huh? What, Inuyasha? You think I can simply kill and revive at whim like a god?" he spat, remembering the harshest lecture his mother had ever delivered. "The Tenseiga is limited to one revival per life."

Inuyasha blinked. "Oh, so you already screwed up once before."

Eyes flashing crimson, Sesshomaru struck his sibling with a blow that would have broken a human's jaw. Inuyasha pressed a hand to his busted lip. "Asshole!" he barked at his elder half-brother. "I'm trying to figure out ways to help Rin here!"

"You have no idea" – claws convulsed at their sides – "what it is like to see your…_child_ suffer while you are unable to offer comfort, even with a simple touch."

Inuyasha's ears flattened. But he didn't have much ammo for that last part. He had to remember that the lump of ice in Sesshomaru's chest melted for this one girl. While Inuyasha's heart didn't exactly go out to the selective, finicky bastard, it did sympathize for Rin's sake. And because it was Rin – forget Sesshomaru altogether – Inuyasha didn't want to see her die. He had seen "the kid" grow up, protected her in his home, and even though the ties were strong with Sango's family that never kept Kagome from treating Rin like a kid sister. _You see, brat, it ain't just Sesshomaru's heartstrings you've got tangled in a bunch. _Inuyasha ground his fangs. _So don't you die on us!_

The tension came to a brief interruption at the soft tap of someone at the entrance. Then Inuyasha's mane bristled at the abrupt rise in yoki emanating from his brother.

"What do you want?" Sesshomaru flung his words like stones at the visitor.

"Please…Lord Sesshomaru, I can help." Kichiruka took one step forward, trying not to cringe at the mounting aura. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Miroku were gathered inside, too, and he took a small boost of confidence from that. He wasn't entirely sure if what he had planned would even work. He'd just wind up ticking off Sesshomaru. _Like I haven't done that a million times by now._ "My lord, I implore you: let me pass."

"To Rin?"

"Yes." Kichiruka thought about taking another advancing step, it was a short set of paces to Rin. But wisely he didn't. Sesshomaru was actually considering.

The dog-demon gritted his fangs. Rin's breathing grew more labored and it became difficult to make a decision as precious time was lost. "Help how?"

Kichiruka presented his empty hands as if in there lay the answer. "I will take the fever," he broadly explained.

Golden eyes narrowed. How was that supposed to work? Sesshomaru looked at Rin. He could wonder later. In sharp military movements, Sesshomaru stood straight up then stepped aside. His head humbly down, Kichiruka slipped past the daiyokai, so now he knelt next to Rin. Even though she was clad in only the simple, white undergarment, Rin radiated a high temperature. _I have to work quickly, otherwise even if she does make it out she might not be all there._

First he placed one cool hand under her chin. Then another at her cheek. She grimaced at first, but slowly relaxed. Sesshomaru watched the other demon's hands intently, not missing a single motion. It wasn't until his gaze returned to Kichiruka's face that he truly understood what was going on.

The water demon panted, sweat trickled from his brow, slicking the sides of his face to his throat, and a red flush colored his cheeks. He pulled back for a moment to catch his breath.

_He is taking the fever into himself._ Sesshomaru said nothing as Kichiruka reached for Rin again. His hands didn't stay as long this time. Finally, he drew away altogether.

"And you're lesser yokai?" Inuyasha stared at sea yokai. "How'd you pull that one off?"

Kichiruka swayed on his knees, azure eyes glazing over. "I am water," he mumbled. Then collapsed at Rin's side.

oOo

Five hard knocks rapped on the door. Inuyasha slid it open. An older man, lithe with a long nose reminiscent of tengu, stood in the threshold, arms tucked into his sleeves and a firm frown in place. Inuyasha registered black hair and, if his canine senses hadn't cued him in otherwise, he would've thought human.

"And you are…?"

"Important," Tensai snipped. "Move." Not about to wait for an invitation, Tensai flowed around Inuyasha's guarded stance. In one scan around the single-room home, Tensai picked out his student and rushed to his side.

He smoothed a hand over Kichiruka's forehead. _He's warm_. By virtue of his subspecies, Kichiruka's body temperature was naturally greater than most sea demons. And Tensai knew what a slight fever felt like. But yokai weren't like humans. They didn't die half as easily. And they weren't supposed to take ill. But Kichiruka had been whittling his own life's energy away. So what did that do to his immunity? The thought that Kichiruka had acquired any symptoms of illness unnerved Tensai. The idiot was supposed to take better care of himself than this. How stupid could Kichiruka get? Tensai wanted to be furious, but his short-fused ire snuffed out at the sight of Kichiruka helpless and unconscious.

_My boy…_

Kichiruka's eyes opened at the familiar yoki coming in tendrils. He never knew it could carry a comforting lilt. "Master…"

Tensai exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "You're all right."

"Um…excuse me?" Kagome scooted on her knees closer to the stranger who had suddenly charged inside. There was only the tiniest wolfish point to his ears, but she noticed the gills on his neck. _He's a water demon, too._ "Are you Kichiruka's…?"

"I'm his instructor," Tensai clarified curtly, schooling his expression as he swiveled his torso to look at…_a priestess?_

"Are those fins? Your guise is well crafted," Miroku complimented.

_And a monk?_ Tensai clenched his jaw to keep it from dropping. _Kichiruka, we must work on your one-dimensional sense of fear. _"I'm obligated to check on him if there is a concern for his life," Tensai stated blandly. "I'd rather not lose something my position in the court depends upon."

Now listening with half an ear, Kichiruka chuckled softly. "Of course not."

"Shut up and sleep," Tensai snapped.

"Yessir." Kichiruka made a show of squeezing his eyes shut.

Technique transfer, quick-freeze from his own content, and now this. Tensai didn't know if there was anything else to go by, but that alone was nearly a century of Kichiruka's life. Idiot.

Kichiruka's eyes popped open suddenly. "Where's Rin?" He vaguely remembered being beside her before crashing out. He sat up with only some difficulty. The room spun as he moved too quickly, but Kichiruka planted his hands on the floor panels and made an effort to remain sitting erect. If he couldn't walk, the water demon swore he'd crawl to her if it were his only means.

"Down." A large hand abruptly covered Kichiruka's face and shoved him back to lie down. Sesshomaru completed the motion without breaking his stride as he crossed the small room to where Rin slept on the opposite end.

"Well, I'm glad I'm not only one with common sense around here," Tensai quipped, smirking at Sesshomaru. Now _him_ Tensai had expected. Somewhat.

The daiyokai only nodded. He could smell the unease that seasoned the swordfish's aura. He settled down on his knees, decreasing his height and trying to look a little less threatening.

"What about Rin?" Kichiruka piped.

Sesshomaru huffed irritably. "She's at peace."

Kichiruka freaked. "You mean she's dead?"

Sesshomaru scowled and Inuyasha interpreted it. "Pal, if Rin had kicked it what makes you think you'd even be breathing right now?"

Miroku coughed into his fist and Kichiruka distinguished a stifled laugh.

Kagome moved in closer. "She's sleeping peacefully thanks to you." Laughing, Kagome patted his chest reassuringly, getting him to lie down again.

"Can I stick around 'til she wakes up?" Kichiruka asked, looking Sesshomaru's way for permission.

"I'm not going anywhere until she does." Ruffling Rin's bangs with just the tips of his fingers, the dog-demon leaned in just enough that when he blew on her forehead the motion went almost undetected.

Rin rolled over to her back. Eyes fluttering, she dragged herself out of a groggy dream – or maybe a nightmare. Sesshomaru's calm, reassuring face stared back at her.

"You little guppy came," he said blandly.

Rin sat up with a jolt, moving fast enough to catch Sesshomaru unawares and clunk her head against his. The daiyokai hissed, rubbing his forehead, but Rin immediately demanded, "Did you kill him?"

Kagome leaned over to whisper to Inuyasha, "Maybe Lord Sesshomaru might not be the best choice to deliver news and bedside manners."

But for Kichiruka the sound of his favorite voice was strength enough. He sat up with a shout.

"Rin!"

"Kichiruka!"

"Inuyasha! Kagome!" Miroku laughed into his fist again.

As Kichiruka staggered, stumbled, then crawled his way to Rin, Tensai unobtrusively scooted out of the way, hauling the little green turkey with his staff along. Jaken snapped at the swordfish, but Tensai let his guise slip just enough for his eyes to return to their full jaundice color and size for a terrifying leer at Jaken. The imp quickly shut up.

"You're alive!" Kichiruka's blue eyes brimmed with joy. Rin was awake and moving and she recognized him. She was okay. The water demon knew that if he dropped dead now it would be from happiness.

In spite of the pounding headache she still had, Rin smiled. Her perfect panacea already sat before her, his bright white grin wide. "I could say the same about you." Her expression dampened as she put a hand on the thick, shiny scar tissue that puckered in three ragged rows across Kichiruka's left cheek. Sesshomaru's swing had caught him low on the jaw and one claw mark fractured the smile Rin had loved since day one. If it had already been several days and still hadn't healed completely, the scars were permanent. An everlasting souvenir of Sesshomaru's prejudice.

"I'm sorry."

The water demon laughed. "Actually, I think it makes me look tough, don't you?" he joked, stroking his chin and striking a pose.

Rin giggled.

Sesshomaru suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Perhaps the injurious thing about this prawn was that he made Rin's intelligence drop several points. For shame it wasn't because of any demonic power.

Recovering himself, Kichiruka remembered exactly where he was. "Well, you're awake…" He looked uncertainly at Sesshomaru. "Guess I'll go now."

"Do you have to?" Rin's soft, brown eyes pleaded for him to stay.

But Kichiruka hummed his assent. "I said I would only stay until you woke."

"There is no cause for haste." Sesshomaru shifted where he sat, but didn't bother getting up. "When I see you next, I'd much prefer a healthy and alert specimen."

_When he sees me next?_ Kichiruka broke out into a renewed grin.

"Why that's very kind of you, Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome beamed.

"I'll say!" Jaken added. Then he pointed his staff at Kichiruka. "You better prostrate yourself straightaway if you understand the magnanimity of m'lord's –"

"I've promised nothing," Sesshomaru speedily interrupted. "It's merely apparent that he'll be back."

"And that you intend to tolerate his return," Miroku observed.

For what it was worth, Jaken waved his staff threateningly. "Don't put words in Lord Sesshomaru's mouth, monk!"

"Pfft!" Inuyasha spluttered. "Half the crap Sesshomaru means to say isn't said."

As the cluster broke out into good-natured caviling and Rin mumbled something to Kichiruka about ruined recovery time, Kagome caught a faint smile flicker across the old demon's face before he looked away. Shortly thereafter, Tensai excused himself outside.

It had been many, many years since Tensai remembered setting foot or fin in a human settlement – be it an inland village or a harbor town. Frequently, it made him feel self-conscious because no matter the extent of the effort, he didn't look like everyone else. If not his yoki, then his gills, his eyes, even the nearly imperceptible points on his ears would betray him. Assimilation into a human setting was a confounding thing. Mostly because it didn't work. But as he stepped outside and strolled to a nearby tree, Tensai noticed that he went …_unnoticed_. Or at least without comment. That alone was remarkable. _Perhaps they're used to seeing Sesshomaru about and Kichiruka, of course. _But that didn't account for strange yokai. How could anyone ignore him if they didn't recognize him among the usuals? Leaning in the tree's shade, Tensai took a moment to idly adjust his sandals. Kichiruka might not mind traipsing around barefoot, but the older demon liked to think he had standards. And only at his leisure did he finally glance up to acknowledge the pair that had been trailing him since he went out. Everyone ignored him save for a young kitsune and a small twin-tailed mountain cat.

Shippo tilted his head, his nose quivering as he tried to make heads or tails of the demonic scent that was at odds with the man's appearance. Upon closer inspection it was clear this person was entirely yokai, not at all hanyo. Either which way, his piercing eyes and black robe gave Shippo the creeps. "Are you the undertaker?"

Tensai smirked. "No, but I do have a habit of winding up at people's deathbeds." Seeing the troubled look cross the fox-child's face, Tensai quickly amended, "Kichiruka and Rin are fine. Tell me, are yokai common to this village?"

Shippo shrugged. "Sorta. The people here know us, so they're okay with it. I'm Shippo, and it's thanks to my stellar diplomacy that—"

"What of the half-demon?" Tensai cut him off.

"Y'mean Inuyasha? Well, considering that he saved the village after Naraku got hold of the Shikon Jewel, I'd say they all, uh, know him. It's a little hard to get used to liking Inuyasha." Shippo laughed. "But Kagome does. She married him."

"The miko?" Tensai's mind reeled. He had assumed that the monk was her husband. But a shrine priestess and a half-demon couple? That made about as much sense as…. "Wow."

"Yeah, that's what I thought at first. 'Cause Inuyasha's usually pretty clueless and has a lousy temper. Who'd wanna get hitched to him?" Shippo laughed.

_What an odd and backward little community this is, _Tensai thought. He knelt to scratch the twin-tail behind the ears. _And how refreshing, too_.

"So, Kichiruka's here?" Shippo piped.

"Mm-hm."

"In one piece?"

That got Tensai to chuckle. "Indeed."

"Woot!" Shippo pumped a little fist in the air. "Inuyasha can't hit me for a year!" With that, the kit raced off with Kilala at his heels, ready to lord it over the hanyo back home.

Tensai was left alone for only a minute, though. Feeling the strong aura of the Western Lord thrum closer, the swordfish opened one eye in his direction. "And a good afternoon to you as well, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru afforded little care toward any deference made and simply proceeded with what he wanted to ascertain. "You are exceptionally fond of your student."

Although he didn't go as far as to swing his whole body around in a direct challenge, Tensai nonetheless glared head-on at Sesshomaru for the presumption.

Sesshomaru stared back blankly. "Is it untrue?"

"It's a strange question." Faltering, the yellow gaze dropped. Tensai huffed and re-crossed his arms. "…It was once said to me that family is where you find it." His expression lightening somewhat, Tensai laughed in short, jerky gasps. "What say you, Lord of the West?"

With a wrinkle in his nose, the dog-demon looked off. And, much to Tensai's surprise, he agreed.

"Yes. So it is."

.

_A/N: So this chapter took a while to post, mostly because I was working on a sister chapter for our "deleted" scenes of _Hooked: fanfiction. net/s/6913863/2/Catch_and_Release_. (Please remove spaces before entering link.) This is the story of Kichiruka, Ichikawa's brilliant plan, and an irritable instructor who wanted to make things otherwise. Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated. _


	57. Babble Fish

_A/N: Would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has followed this story from the start and those who have just hopped on board. Thank you! (And I find it cute that someone actually likes Ichikawa's personality)._

**Babble Fish**

Tensai waited for the cool breeze to pass before he pushed off from the tree he leaned against and started toward Rin's home. If Sesshomaru was just going to stare off into space, there really wasn't much point to loitering around doing nothing. He could feel the golden eyes tracking him as he walked past, but the dog-demon didn't move.

"Spell-caster."

Tensai stopped to look over his shoulder. "Why?" All daiyokai were rather wearing with their holier-than-thou attitudes and lofty looks. And, after all, _someone_ had put those scars on Kichiruka's face. Tensai gritted his teeth. "Well, Lord Sesshomaru?"

In his palm, the daiyokai held one half of a small clamshell. "If memory serves, this came from your own possessions when this body" – Sesshomaru gestured to himself – "visited your home ocean. Do you recognize it?"

Recognize it? Tensai's jaw went slack and his eyes glistened. He retraced his steps to retrieve the item. Sesshomaru simply tilted his palm and dropped the little token into the water demon's cupped hands. He may as well have deposited gold there.

"Thank you." Immediately, Tensai slit the stitches of his collar and withdrew a small chain of similar shells from the space. He tucked the stray shell in with the rest. He could restring it later. Regaining command of his composure, Tensai executed a quick bow. "Thank you," he said again a bit more formally.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "I had no need of it." He started walking, automatically taking the lead.

Tensai quickly collected himself as he became once again aware of Sesshomaru's arrogance. Ignoring the compulsion to pull a face behind the daiyokai's back – Ichikawa had once caught him, so Tensai wasn't going to gamble Sesshomaru – the swordfish followed at a reserved and easy pace.

With his back still to his company, Sesshomaru observed, "Spell-caster, you are…happy."

"I _have_ a name." Tensai did his best to sound sour. "Who's to say?"

"You approved of this from the beginning," Sesshomaru stated in a tone just this side of an accusation.

"I did not." Tensai considered this a moment. And decided to add a bit more truth. "I knew that girl would get him killed from the start."

Sesshomaru didn't smile, but his eyebrows rose in private amusement. They reached Rin's house. Then Sesshomaru slid open the door. And the flesh under his eyes pinched. Tensai saw the moment the dog-demon's back went rigid and the fur on his shoulder bristled.

_Dammit, they had better not be having a tryst right now. _Tensai shouldered his way to the forefront for a better look. Mercifully, Kichiruka and Rin were still on their respective sides of the room. Both were asleep, but a small universe of origami critters littered the space between them – frogs, horses, flowers, stars, and a boat-like craft held _kirin_. The loose leaves of paper scattered mostly on Kichiruka's side. A flock of cranes perched near his hand, but one of the folded birds was comically balanced on Rin's head.

Aside from the paper chaos, Tensai saw nothing out of order. _Ah, wait._ Except that the room was conspicuously empty of anyone else. His eyes flicked up to the demon beside him to gauge this reaction.

"Inuyasha and the rest of that lot…" Sesshomaru's growl smothered the rest of his words. He nodded at Tensai. "Stay here." If Tensai were stupid enough to mock, he would have slapped his arms to his sides and bowed smartly. But he wasn't Kichiruka.

Pivoting on heel, the daiyokai stormed out of the hut. Presumably to hunt down the lax security. As soon as Sesshomaru was out of earshot, Tensai cleared his throat and made an announcement. "He's gooone…"

"Y'sure?" Kichiruka peaked out from between his lashes.

Tensai gave his student a flat look. "Can't you ever behave yourself?"

"Oh, it wasn't his fault!" Rin giggled, making the paper crane flutter off. "I used to fake sleep all the time when I was little. Mostly so someone could carry me. Lord Sesshomaru bought it every time."

Tensai hummed sardonically. Maybe it wasn't so bad not having kids. "Are you ready to go, Kichiruka?"

"Must we?" His gaze lingered on Rin.

Tensai grumbled. "Hanging around here might be all fine and dandy for you, but Miss Rin needs her rest."

"Laughter's the best medicine," Kichiruka opined.

"So is rest. Let's go. My body is beginning to thirst."

"You need booze?"

Tensai mashed Kichiruka's head into the floor plank. "You know damn well what I mean." But Rin stared at him with wide eyes, so for her benefit alone the swordfish added, "As water yokai we need to return to water regularly. And not all of us were prepared to spend excessive time on land." He gave Kichiruka's ear a hard twist.

"Okay! Okay! We're going!" Kichiruka sat up. Then remembered, "Wait! Wanted to drop these off for the kidlets." He scooped up the paper boat and loaded it with a few more animals. "A monk's origami is eight-fold," he punned. Tensai groaned and Rin snickered. Then Kichiruka bounded out the door.

With a snort, Tensai settled down to wait. This being Kichiruka, it could take a while.

Rin glanced at her sulky sentinel. He always wore a lot of black, like a perpetual shadow. Tensai scowled at the sunshine filtering through the window.

"You're in a good mood today," Rin observed. And she could have sworn she heard Tensai's neck creak when he redirected his glare on her.

"You and Sesshomaru have much in common." It wasn't meant to be a compliment.

Rin smirked. "Guess I wasn't the first to tell you that today."

"Huh." Tensai was certain the girl didn't have the spiritual ability necessary to read his aura at its present frequency. _But she seems adept at reading people_. He snorted irritably. There. Now he was legitimately peeved.

And Rin's grin widened. This time, though, she didn't say a peep.

No longer sure if he was amused or annoyed out of his mind, Tensai forced himself to keep from fidgeting and just sit still. Rin went about her business, collecting the left over origami creatures. Tensai watched her open a small storage chest and add her new collection.

"Memories?" he asked casually.

Rin smiled. "Sort of. I'm just a pack-rat. I like to save all the gifts people have given me." She reached in to show him something Kichiruka gave her and came up with the half piece of the sapphire that matched the dolphin's eyes. "Kich' gave this to me after what he called a successful performance. I don't think the Shikon Jewel itself ever shone brighter. Hey!"

Tensai plucked the jewel from Rin's hand. "Girl, this is no gemstone!" He clenched the sapphire tightly, his chest heaving and eyes wide. How in the seven hells had Ichikawa come into possessing something like this, much less giving it away as if it were as common as dirt? _If I had had this back when…_

"Is something wrong?" Rin asked. "Master Tensai?"

"No…" he rasped. Tensai traced a finger down the stone's jagged edge. "It's fractured…Kichiruka has the other half?"

Rin nodded. Why did Tensai make this sound like a life or death matter?

"May I borrow this for a while, Miss Rin?"

"Um, sure."

"I promise to return it," Tensai swore. His eyes shone in an earnestness that Rin couldn't doubt.

She laughed. "I trust you, sir."

The fringes of Tensai's senses quivered at the sound of Rin's laughter. She reminded him very much of the woman he loved. He folded his fingers around the sapphire. He _would_ do right with this chance.

oOo

When Kichiruka next visited Tensai's study he found it hauntingly vacant. As usual nothing was out of place. But the eerie order without his teacher's strong personality made it much too quiet. Kichiruka's intuition buzzed on high. He didn't bother consulting the spy sphere. He had a good idea where Tensai was.

When he got there, Kichiruka landed on smooth stone after hoping off a geyser. Even though it they were deep under the sea, the cavern had open air. A small hidden-away sanctuary. But that never was the most miraculous feature of this place. The radiant basin lured all attention to its play of colors. Pulling his gaze away, Kichiruka had to watch his step as he picked his way through the broken glass of shattered vials, the red fluid they once contained spewed all over the ground like a bloodbath. He managed to find one vial still intact and quickly tucked it into his robes. Tensai might want _something_ back. "Master Tensai? What's wrong?"

Under the influence of saké, Tensai's bright yellow eyes had long lost their pupils and now had an off-kilter sheen. With just the tips of his fingers, he tilled through the broken glass. "I…I couldn't remember the sound of her laughter."

"Sir…" Kichiruka slung one of Tensai's arms over his shoulder. "Come on, let's go home."

"Not one of those memories sounded exact."

"I'm sure."

"Are you saying I didn't record them correctly?"

Kichiruka groaned. Weren't you supposed to agree with people when they were half-cocked? Figured Tensai would still be difficult either which way.

"So…what brings this on?"

"I miss her." He shook his head. "It's been three hundred years. I can't fathhh…_fathom_ why the pain is so fresh."

"You loved her."

"I couldn't have…No soul, remember?" He laughed bitterly.

Kichiruka shook his head and left it at that.

oOo

_"There's a reason I'm not dead, you know. And I think he'd really like a fair audience with you."_

Sesshomaru sighed inwardly. _I know, Rin._ All things considered, he had yet to sit and speak with the prawn. _Kichiruka_, he reminded himself. When he finally settled across the low desk from his company – they were borrowing Rin's house – the daiyokai was cordially greeted with an open smile. He glared back. Only when Kichiruka's grin lost a couple of molars did Sesshomaru relent with his default dispassionate expression.

_That's a start. _

Golden eyes raked up and down the sea demon before them. He was kempt enough. Spiked bangs parted evenly and the length of Kichiruka's hair pulled back in a topknot. Sesshomaru thought the black blotches over his skin were distracting, signs of a guise in progress or the inability to perfectly master it. The daiyokai's own markings were a display of rank – power and poison.

He closed his eyes before his stare lingered too long on the stripes Kichiruka had earned to be in this audience.

Sesshomaru inhaled deeply. This conversation would involve more words than he often cared to expend in a week.

"For reasons beyond comprehension, Rin favors you."

That irritating smile returned. Sesshomaru waited until it was back in proper order. The matter he wished to address was very grave. One that had weighed on his mind since the day he revived Rin.

"I wonder, though…What will you do in ten years? Twenty? The gap between yokai and human life spans is immense."

"Lord Sesshomaru," Kichiruka said with equal seriousness. "I know Rin may not last my whole life, but I know that she will have made my life whole." It was an honest confession, one brimming with love and devotion. Kichiruka wished Rin could have heard it. He'd have to tell it to her face someday.

Sesshomaru remained unfazed. _So the prawn can talk pretty._ "Huh."

"If I could, I want my life to match hers." Kichiruka placed his hands on the table. "That's why no expense is too great."

Sesshomaru scoffed. "If you're going to be that frivolous with your own life's energy, then I propose you find out how much time you actually have." He closed his eyes and Kichiruka was afforded the rare sight of the magenta marks of the daiyokai. "And I understand that Rin trusts you very much."

"Yessir," Kichiruka smiled, and Sesshomaru arched a skeptical brow. _Maybe I should offer an example?_ "Well, we've slept together."

A capillary in Sesshomaru's forehead burst. _He has carnal knowledge of…_

Rin sat outside, helping Kagome sift rice from chaff. She glanced at the priestess. "Say, it's been a while. I guess it's going –"

In a loud crack of splitting wood and a hailstorm of splinters, Kichiruka careened from the hut to Rin's feet. Not far behind, Sesshomaru followed, talons glowing green.

"Rin, how well do you _know_ this prawn?" By the daiyokai's inflection it was clear what kind of familiarity he meant.

"We haven't slept together," Rin drawled.

"Yeah, we have," the water demon validated around a mouthful of dirt.

"We haven't had sex, Lord Sesshomaru."

Golden eyes narrowed.

"I'm still a virgin."

"I thought you were human," Kichiruka piped from under the daiyokai's heel.

Rin sighed. "See?"

Sesshomaru arched a dubious brow. His frown stood firmly in place, his gaze fixed on Rin, but, reaching for the spiked topknot, he yanked Kichiruka from the ground. "Come."

When Sesshomaru released him, some several yards later, Kichiruka scrambled to his feet. Following back to the house where Rin's guardian led, the water demon asked outright, "Lord Sesshomaru, is sex bad?"

_For someone with your intellect, yes._ Sesshomaru declined to answer.

Kichiruka took note. "I guess I can ask Rin to show me."

Sesshomaru came to a dead halt. Then inhaled deeply. It reminded Kichiruka of the way Master Tensai counted backwards from twenty. His answer, when it came, was flat, betraying nothing. "If you are worthy, I'll explain."

_Wow, top-guarded knowledge!_ Kichiruka whooped. "Will you demonstrate, too?"

"No," came the – _hasty?_ – reply.

Then something about Sesshomaru's stiff gait and measured tones reminded him of the time he had asked Kohaku about… "Is it like kissing?"

Again, Sesshomaru stopped moving. "What do you know about that?"

"Well, Rin says I've improved since –"

Rin surveyed the new crater Kichiruka's second landing made. She didn't think it was possible but it actually looked deeper than the first. As good as an impression it left in the earth, Rin doubted that it was the kind Kichiruka meant to make with Lord Sesshomaru.

oOo

"Master Tensai?"

"Hrmph?"

"What's a virgin?"

Yellow eyes slid in Kichiruka's direction. "You're kidding, right?"

Kichiruka blinked innocently. This was, more or less, the first "normal" conversation the two had had since last week's incident. Although Tensai resumed business as usual, the swordfish had kept quiet for the next couple of days following. Kichiruka wasn't sure if Tensai had intentionally meant to leave the cavern in ruins, and once attempted asking…Tensai gave him his back and changed the subject.

Now the swordfish harrumphed with the same old cranky ambivalence. "Go ask Ichika—ah, never mind." He could already visualize the sordid scenario and the depraved manta ray's idea of an answer. Most likely a demonstration. Massaging his temples, Tensai squeezed his eyes shut, trying to cleanse the disgusting image. "Do you think you know the oceanic word for 'virgin'?"

"Well, maybe if you say so…"

Tensai briskly clicked out the word in their basic tongue.

Kichiruka's eyes brightened with understanding right away. "Oh, so it's a woman who hasn't been busted. OW!"

"Where did you hear such a _vulgar_ phrase?" Tensai walloped his student a second time for good measure.

It was now Kichiruka's turn to cradle his skull. Though this time out of pain. "Hey, it's not my fault I was ignorant to the proper words for these sorts of things."

With an exasperated growl, Tensai shook his head and drifted to the other side of his study. "I can only hope that you didn't make yourself out to be a complete fool before Sesshomaru."

The look on Kichiruka's face told all. Tensai swore vehemently. The word he used reminded Kichiruka of another one.

"Master Tensai, what's sex?"

oOo

Kichiruka turned his scribbled directions over a few times, wondering if maybe he had skipped over something. According to locals, Mount Osore overlooked the hot springs of a quiet town and had a straightaway path. So far, Kichiruka had found the hot springs and passed the town, but not tripped up on one decent path up the steep sheer cliffside. But in the shade of one grove, he did find a bush full of delectable looking berries. Kichiruka's stomach rumbled and he reached for one.

"Don't eat those!"

Kichiruka looked up. A human cloaked in a cape of stripped bamboo – the sort donned by travelers – held his hand outreached in a beseeching manner. He was also yoked with empty water vessels that swung lightly on the wooden bar. It was definitely going to be a load to haul back. Upon closer inspection, Kichiruka could tell that mortal looked younger than he did. Barely more than a boy, really.

"Why not?" Kichiruka asked. "They look ripe."

"Those are shinjitsu-go berries," the boy explained. "They turn their victims into babbling idiots who spew every secret they hold dear. They're also known as the Spy's Ally. Otherwise they're nothing but tr…trouble…" The boy had been stepping closer to Kichiruka, until he realized _what_ he was addressing. "You are yokai."

"And water's wet." Kichiruka shrugged. "Why are you coming all the way out here for water?" he asked, pointing to the buckets the boy carried. "The town's back thattaway."

Still a little shaken up about having a normal conversation with a creature that could kill him as soon as look at him, the youth decided it was best to humor the demon. "I—the stream, it's the closest one and…well, my father wanted me to train by myself and…you're not going to eat me are you?"

Kichiruka reached slowly for his conch staff. Sudden motions around this kid wouldn't be a good idea. "I can reroute the stream, so it's a little closer."

The boy blinked. He would have been more convinced if Kichiruka had lobsters crawling out of his ears.

"Let's make a deal," Kichiruka said. The boy tilted his head. A deal sounded a bit more real than spontaneous kindness. "I'll deviate a stream your way and you give me a sound set of directions to Mount Osore. Fair enough?"

oOo

Water yokai were not adept at climbing. _And we care even less for heights._ Kichiruka gulped and closed his eyes fending off another fit of vertigo. _Maybe I can make the rest of the hike this way,_ he thought, pressing his belly close to the dirt and refusing to stand up. A rock came loose under his hand and tumbled down into oblivion. Kichiruka wished he hadn't watched that thing drop. He closed his eyes. _I wish there were another way!_

Kichiruka's ears pricked up. A cool, rushing rustle swept over the rocks not too far ahead. He knew that sound very well. _Water!_ Shuffling just a little faster, he managed to locate the stream that trickled out of the mountain's crevices. Well, it wasn't much of a stream, but it was good enough. Taking the conch staff in his teeth, Kichiruka soaked his hands in the stream. _Take me up._

Unfortunately, the water was painfully shallow, so even though the water obeyed like a harnessed pony it dragged Kichiruka over the sharp stones and jutting rocks at its very close bottom. When the stream spat Kichiruka out at his destination, the front of his clothes were still damp and sticky with blood after he dried himself.

_I must look like a wreck. _Kichiruka bided another hour to get in some time for preliminary healing. At least he was on a plateau of sorts now. It wasn't so bad when he stood up. Even if looking over treetops still made him nauseous.

As Kichiruka approached the mouth of the cave he noticed a sign that read _In_. A painted arrow on a plank beside it pointed to a bowl full of coins. _She's an ascetic, right?_ Kichiruka started to doubt the legitimacy of his excursion. But as he passed under the paper streamers that fluttered over the entrance he was sharply corrected. The spiritual energy snapped at his yoki, almost like a bodyguard shoving an intruder out.

"Please, excuse me!" he called. "I come in peace and would like to enter. I seek the Itako of Mount Osore!"

"You and many yokai!" hissed the quick retort.

Kichiruka cowed as the strength of the plummel increased twofold. From a rebuff meant to defend to a shock meant to deal damage. He walked in a little farther. "Madam Seer, I mean no harm!" Though the task of convincing the itako of such became increasingly difficult as the water demon's natural defenses began to take hold. Involuntarily, his yoki buffeted back. He knew his irises had already swallowed his pupils and bled into the rest of his eyes. Kichiruka just didn't want them to go red. He was positive it was bad enough that his jaw began to unhook and his mouth stretch back. If she stripped him of his guise here there wouldn't be any turning back. _And it hurts!_ Worse than any electrical shock, the itako's power held him to the spot. Kichiruka couldn't even retreat at this point.

_But if I ease up altogether she could purify me!_ Gritting his teeth, Kichiruka took the spiritual beating. _Please, please…_ "I have only a question!" But the words came out garbled. Half-spoken, half-squealed and whistled.

_He's so desperate_. "Ask now!" the itako demanded.

Kichiruka couldn't. Transform or…He let his guard drop.

The itako faltered. Her curiosity piqued and her reiki came to crashing in. At the last second she redirected, splitting the nearest boulder. But she relented. Kichiruka shuddered back into his temporary form.

The itako clucked her tongue as she shuffled toward the odd demon. Reaching for a wooden walking stick, she tapped the cavern's base to feel for any obstruction. By custom, all itako were blind – either born so or made. It was believed that this made them more acutely aware of the spirits they communicated with. The itako's was a lifetime of training.

_And dang, she's one old biddy. _Kichiruka's first coherent thought.

Even from his worm's eye view on the limestone floor, Kichiruka could tell she was a small lady, maybe half his height. And she was wearing platformed _geta_ sandals.

"So…a question?" she asked, her voice craggy.

Kichiruka sat up slowly. "Yes, if you'd please."

"You are allowed _one_."

"Umm…." Kichiruka considered how he should phrase it. He had hoped to be allowed at least two. "How much longer will I have to live? OW!"

The itako's wooden cane cracked over his skull. "If you wanted to ask that you should've accosted an onmyoji! Someone who can read the stars is better suited."

Kichiruka straightened. "Yeah, but no one knows where to find one outside of a human town. I doubt they would see me." He canted his head to one side. "But as a spiritualist, can't you at least judge how much longer my life – ngh!"

Wrapping fingers that looked more like claws around his wrist, she twisted his arm over and ran a sharp nail from the bend of his elbow to his palm. "Be still," she hissed.

Kichiruka bravely did not squirm. Sort of.

"You are thirteen score and five, correct?"

"Uh…two hundred sixty-five? Yeah, that sounds about right. Never really kept tr—"

She jerked his wrist. Hard. "Your natural lifespan should have been a thousand, little water child. But you've since used your present age in addition to seven score's worth."

"So I've spent, like, four hundred and five years altogether so far?"

"Do you want my assistance or not?"

Kichiruka shut up.

The itako turned milky eyes in Kichiruka's direction. "If you keep these little displays up, you won't finish this next century."

"Really?"

"If you're not careful, yes."

Kichiruka scooped up the old diviner and indecorously swung her in his arms. "I get to spend my whole life with her!"

The itako didn't know what to make of this demon's outburst. Not too many creatures rejoiced at the knowledge their lives would be cut short. But this demon had surprised her already. _He's, in truth, harmless. _There was something benign in his aura. She smiled a little. Then curtly ordered, "Put me down. NOW."

Kichiruka obeyed.

"An offer, strange yokai," she said. "Entertain one question of mine for another of yours." It wasn't too often she got to speak with a demon on such friendly terms.

Kichiruka grinned. "You got it!"

The itako chuckled. His effervescence was contagious. "Why?"

"Huh? Why what?" Kichiruka slapped his hands over his mouth. "Does that count as a question?" He swore. Damn, did that one, too?

The itako outright laughed now. She waved a hand dismissively. "I meant, why are you going through so much trouble? Climbing this mountain? Approaching me?"

"Rin's never any trouble," he said simply. "She's usually in it. But she's never trouble."

"You love someone?" She reconsidered his question. _How many years to live, huh?_ "A mortal, then?"

Kichiruka nodded. Then remembered that the itako couldn't see the motion. "Yes."

"Oh." She let the syllable hang.

And Kichiruka's head hung. He certainly didn't need to ask his second question if _that_ was her reaction.

"You really ought to learn to be a little more selfish."

Kichiruka looked up.

"You're spending yourself for a human. She's not going to live long." The itako laughed. "I'm over a century, but look where my life has been spent…" She laughed and the broken syllables reminded Kichiruka of Tensai. "Oh, just go. And give it everything you got." She turned around, waiting for him to leave.

"Thank you." Kichiruka smiled and bowed low enough so the itako could feel the tines of his hair brush over her shoulder. He made to leave. But decided to try for one last question. "Um, Lady Itako?"

"Hmm?"

"Might I ask a favor?"

She frowned in Kichiruka's direction. "Watch yourself, young demon. Kindling a laugh or two out of me doesn't mean you've endeared yourself."

Kichiruka smiled sheepishly. "Of course not. I just wanted to know, that is, ah, you can contact even souls that have crossed over, right?"

"Yes," she answered cautiously. Then asked, "Why?"

Kichiruka elaborated.

"Now _that_ is a difficult thing. What are you willing to sacrifice, oh little self-serving-one?" She said the last in a teasing tone. "But I'm serious about sacrifice."

Kichiruka held out his arm. "Take whatever amount of life is necessary. You said I've got a few centuries in me still. I won't need 'em."

She laughed. "And what inspires this attitude so brazen…and so generous?"

"Because," Kichiruka said, producing a small vial with red liquid, "at the end of the day, I'm here to make people smile."

oOo

It took more than a little persuasion on Rin's part to coax Sesshomaru back for a second hearing. But he seemed to only take it in stride. All things considered, it wasn't that bad of an outcome. Sesshomaru was still tolerating him.

But Sesshomaru also had his own agenda in mind. During their last meeting, Kichiruka spoke eloquently. _When he could_. But when he faltered and was stripped of self-awareness, the water demon wasn't so slick. _I want to see him without such a carefully prepared guard._ And whatever else Kichiruka had been keeping from Sesshomaru. On his way over, the daiyokai met a boy who peddled shinjitsu-go – "truth language" – berries. The stripling said he had met a kind yokai just the other day who, in gratitude for directions, recommended that he sell the shinjitsu-go and even bought a branch himself. Would this noble demon lord be so magnanimous as to…?

"One branch," Sesshomaru ordered.

The boy happily supplied. "That'll be one copper…hey!"

"Your life should constitute payment enough," a little green imp snapped as he trailed after the daiyokai.

Now Sesshomaru looked at the branch in his hands. It seemed somehow…dishonorable. He sighed and slipped it back into his sleeve. Maybe later.

Then Kichiruka entered the room all smiles and swagger. Sesshomaru frowned. He made a note that when the miko came by with tea as she had promised earlier, he would offer a new seasoning.

oOo

Kagome smiled at the boy. He said he didn't normally travel, but a young water sprite suggested that he leave home for a couple of days to sell the shinjitsu-go berries that grew nearby. The lad hadn't considered the berries to have any actual value until the strange and lucky yokai explained the worth. Now he had a pretty priestess buying them at top dollar!

"Thank you, ma'am!"

"No problem!" Kagome set the berries aside. She knew what they were, but if you blended them correctly they lost their properties and made excellent snacks. _Oh, a special treat!_ If she hurried she could have it done before Kichiruka departed. Excited and in a rush now, Kagome tossed the berries with her other herbs – she could sort them later – and ran out to buy some add-ons.

"Ah! Hold it!" Kagome skidded to a stop. She had already prepped some tea to take over to Sesshomaru and Kichiruka. Then she sighted Rin down. "Hey, Rin, tea's in the house. Lord Sesshomaru's expecting it! Later!"

"Sounds good!" Rin called after the red and white whirlwind. Sure enough, when she got there Rin found not one but two kettles prepared. One had a note that read, "For Sesshomaru and Kichiruka." A little happy face drawn at the end let Rin know Kagome had happily anticipated this.

_Thank you._ Rin lifted the lid. It smelled excellent. But she wondered if there was a way to step it up a bit. Maybe make it sweeter. Rin looked at the stuff lying around the house. There didn't seem to be anything good to use that wouldn't seem redundant.

Then she spied some particularly ripe-looking berries.

_Perfect! _

"Um, excuse me?" she deferred before entering. "Tea's here." Rin quietly poured two cups as Kichiruka and Sesshomaru continued their conversation, then set the kettle down and bustled out, closing the panel behind her.

From what she saw, it was going…_okay_. She could only hope Sesshomaru didn't grill Kichiruka too much. Maybe the tea would help smooth things over.

oOo

Pressing his cheek into the back of his hand, Sesshomaru drawled, "Don't confuse your emotional attachment for any material wealth."

"Lord Sesshomaru, I speak honestly." Kichiruka nodded. "I've accrued substantial means in the course of my service to Lord Ichikawa."

Sesshomaru hummed in a way that meant everything and nothing at all. The information might have been pleasing…and he might not have cared either which way. Perfect neutrality. He glanced at the tea served. It was a bit late to add the shinjitsu-go. His nose wrinkled now that he actually paid attention to its aroma. _How did…?_

In waiting for Sesshomaru to come up with a reply, Kichiruka reached for his cup. And sipped. _Hey, this is good._ "It's sweet!" He took a few more sips.

Amber eyes widened momentarily, but Sesshomaru decided to remain silent. This might have telling results.

"Answer me something?"

"Yeah, Sesshomaru?" Kichiruka blinked. "Ahem, excuse me. Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru gave no inclination toward any annoyance that the water demon had faltered with his title. _He's losing his inhibitions already._ Signs of a weak constitution. "Why do you want Rin?"

Kichiruka paused to answer. "She's nice…" Why was it so hard to think all of a sudden? "And she's fun to talk to. Out of everyone I have to deal with every damn day, Rin's the one I like to make smile the most."

"And?" Sesshomaru prompted.

"And she's super _hawt_."

"I see." Sesshomaru collected the questions he truly wanted to ask now. "Did you want to steal my body that day?"

"Hell yeah."

_Hell__ yeah?_ Sesshomaru's shoulders tensed. _I knew it._

"Would've made things real awkward around Rin, though. For a moment there, I didn't care. I hadn't felt a rush of power like that before. Felt better than anything else." He grinned like just the thought alone brought gratification. "But I didn't do it, you know?"

Sesshomaru considered this. "Because of Rin?"

"Well, not in a million years for you."

Silver eyebrows shot up.

"I mean, I try to get things off on the right foot and poor Rin worships the frickin' dirt you walk on, so I have to act like I'm meeting a god straight out of Izumo and what do I get for my troubles? You try to eat me!"

Technically, the objective was initially to kill. However, Sesshomaru didn't want to interrupt.

"I'm a crowd-pleaser. I live to make people smile. I wish I could have had you in my corner, thought we could at least be sort of friends because of Rin. Like you, I'd do anything to have Rin safe. And yeah, I really think I'm the best damn thing that can see to that. I survived you anyway." Kichiruka laughed in his loud dolphin's cackle.

"But instead I get a potential father-in-law with a stick up his ass. Not one thing I do pleases you. Do you even remember how to smile? Much less laugh? How you manage to mean the world to Rin is beyond me, but I stood out of it. I didn't want to mess up the good thing she's got and was ready to agree that you're right…"

_Good, then get out_. Sesshomaru's aura started to prickle.

Kichiruka only smiled that irritating grin. "But…I can't quite leave. No opiate can keep you hooked like this."

oOo

Kagome smiled at Rin when she walked back indoors.

"Did you take the tea to Sesshomaru and Kichiruka?"

"Yeah." Rin grinned. "I'm glad he's sort of coming around to Kich'."

Kagome nodded. She set down the new stock with the other herbs. And noticed that the berries were missing.

"Um, Rin, hon…did you happen to notice if there were any berries set down here?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Miss Kagome." She laughed a little. "I took them to season the tea. They smelled really sweet and seemed like it would be a good mix…" Rin's voice trailed as Kagome's expression crumbled. "They weren't meant for that, were they?"

Without a word and eyes wide, the priestess slowly shook her head. _No_. "Rin, those were shinjitsu-go berries."

Rin paled. "And what do these truth-language berries do?"

"You don't know what truth serum is, but it's like that. The person who ingests them speaks without censoring themselves." Kagome nervously smoothed the pleats of her red hakama. She remembered when she got braces in seventh grade and the dentist gave her laughing gas. But how to explain this in sixteenth-century terms? "People talk on a subconscious level under the fruits' influence. You know how when you're trying to talk in a dream and you're only vaguely aware of what you've said after it's left your mouth? Like tha—Where are you going?"

Rin didn't look back as she raced out the door. "I gotta get that tea before it's too late!"

But when she threw open the door Kichiruka was already concluding whatever story he had going.

"Yeah, so the old man seriously needs to get laid." Rin hoped Kichiruka wasn't talking about whom she thought. Then Kichiruka noticed that she was standing in the doorway. "Hey, there hotness!"

Rin's head snapped to glare at Sesshomaru. His tea remained untouched. He must have known. At least have smelled it. _How could you?_

The daiyokai returned with a drab look. "The fool drank before any warning could be issued."

Kichiruka grinned openly. "I like your dress, Rin dear."

Rin heaved a frustrated grumble. "I hope you're not taking anything he says seriously."

Sesshomaru didn't even blink. His eyes had the simple unfocused gaze that stated that he had mentally recorded everything said.

Rin slapped a hand over her eyes. "Oh come on!"

"That's what I said one time," Kichiruka blurted. "But hey, I want Rin to be willing."

That comment got Sesshomaru's attention. "Is that what you think of her?" he said just short of snarling. He had promised not to kill this prawn in front of Rin, but this situation was growing more tempting with each word that left the water demon's mouth. And, on one hand, Sesshomaru also wanted Rin to hear this, too. _For her own benefit_.

Kichiruka angled his head as if he were sizing Rin up, looking at her from top to bottom. "Eh, I was concerned that she might be a little small, but I think we can make it fit."

"So then you are familiar with sexual relations?" Sesshomaru's lip curled in disgust. So the prawn had been lying to him earlier. Though the dog-demon couldn't recall smelling any dishonesty then. _Unless he's very adept at lying_.

"Well, now that I got the definition in common language, yeah." Kichiruka clicked and whistled the translation in his native dialect. "So Rin might be a virgin, but I'm more broken in than a pair of good work boots."

While Kichiruka continued babbling his way into his own grave, the entrance panel slid open and Inuyasha walked in. Keeping Tetsusaiga in its sheath as he removed it with unusual delicacy, almost perfect reserve; then Inuyasha raised the sword and in one sweep brought it crashing down on the back of Kichiruka's head. In an instant, the water demon went unconscious.

"Damn, all that yammering was giving me a headache!" Inuyasha barked. Though the shit about Sesshomaru had been pretty funny. He had to listen in a little for that.

Sesshomaru stood. "Huh. I've heard enough."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried, stepping over Kichiruka to go after him. "You can't consider such a thing –"

"Give it a rest, kid." Inuyasha slipped Tetsusaiga back into his sash. "This bastard will use whatever underhanded tactic he wants to make anyone look bad."

Sesshomaru huffed. "This was unintentional." His eyes narrowed. "And the intentions of that sea scum are nothing of the sort I will tolerate."

"Aw fer the love a' – Every normal adult male has those urges."

Sesshomaru blinked slowly.

Inuyasha's ears flattened. "You ain't normal."

A small grunt came from behind Inuyasha. Kichiruka lifted his head. His eyes were still oddly dilated. "Say Rin dear, I really do love you." Then, without any assistance, Kichiruka passed out on his own.

With Rin, Sesshomaru gazed at the sea demon for a moment longer. Then turned to his charge. "We'll find someone else."

Her world snapping back to reality, Rin stamped her foot and pointed at Kichiruka. "I want this one," she insisted.

Sesshomaru sidestepped his vocal obstruction. "Quit acting like a child."

"Make me!" Rin followed him outside.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Hey, small fry, you better wake up soon. We need someone around here besides me to give it to Sesshomaru straight up."

oOo

When Kichiruka came to, he could hear Rin talking outside with Sesshomaru. He had trouble making out the words. Her voice climbing to pleading tones.

_That's the second time I've passed out in this room. Rin had better move. This place is unhealthy. _

He sat up smoothly. Nothing felt sore. With the possible exception of the back of his skull. _Ugh, my head is spinning._ Kichiruka vaguely wondered if this was what Tensai felt like after a several rounds of saké. _Damn, why did Inuyasha have to hit me so hard? …Uh-oh._ Kichiruka sprang to his feet and strode to the door. Only to backpedal with Sesshomaru advancing immediately upon him.

Sesshomaru put Rin at his back and, effectively filling the threshold with his full armored frame and fur, the daiyokai reached for the sliding panel and locked Rin outside. Now it was just him and Kichiruka in the single-room house.

With a rough shove, Sesshomaru knocked Kichiruka off his feet so the water yokai fell sprawled on his back, his belly exposed. Like an angry dog asserting dominance, Sesshomaru stood over him. "Was all that you disclosed true?"

Kichiruka bit his lip. His yoki pulsing.

"Do you remember what you said?" Sesshomaru's aura charged the room.

Kichiruka answered quickly. "Yessir."

"So was it all true?"

"You really tried to drug me?"

"Answer yes or no."

"Yes." Kichiruka swallowed. "Yes, everything was true. They're called shinjitsu-go for a reason, right?"

Sesshomaru eyed Kichiruka. "I will overlook such a brassy statement as residue of the tea." Slowly, Sesshomaru stepped away and walked to one end of the room. When he reached it, he turned around and strode the other way. Sesshomaru continued to pace for a minute more. He glanced at Kichiruka. But right when the water demon thought he was going to get an answer, or at least a death threat, Sesshomaru turned and resumed pacing.

Kichiruka wanted to say, "Any day now," but for the time being, while the dog-demon debated, he could still fantasize about what would happen if Sesshomaru said yes.

oOo

When Sesshomaru stepped out of the house he took no questions, gave no answers, and proceeded to walk straight into the cool of the forest. He needed some alone time. Rin didn't ask anything. Even Kichiruka kept quiet. Until he was sure Sesshomaru was gone. When he finally did speak, he sounded quiet and small.

"Hey, Rin dear?"

She hummed quizzically.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I mean, you were drugged and…"

Kichiruka grinned rakishly.

"You _were_ drugged…RIGHT?"

Kichiruka laughed. And stopped when Rin slugged him in the stomach.

"Depraved, deceitful, rotten…You're as bad as Ichikawa!"

Kichiruka still couldn't wipe the smirk from his face. "And do you think Sesshomaru wouldn't have had doubt always in his mind otherwise? He needed to feel as if he were seeing me completely uncensored. He wouldn't have trusted me otherwise. You know it."

Rin shook her head. "You risked everything!"

The dazzling smile made the scars on his face curl. "But it was all true anyway." Kichiruka sat up, straightened into a kneeling position and gently took Rin's hands in his. As he kissed the back of her wrist, Kichiruka's bright eyes shown up at her. "I love you."

Rin could feel her eyes moisten. _Because he really means it._ Then she remembered what Kichiruka had said earlier. "Waitasec, have you actually thought of how I'm going to 'fit' you?"

Kichiruka blinked uncomprehendingly for a second. Then laughed. "Oh, _that_…Well, you are on the small side…"

Rin withdrew one of her hands and smacked Kichiruka aside. "Lech!"

Kichiruka winced. "So much for honest relationships!" And he couldn't help laughing. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it either! OW! See how much I suffer for you?" He finally got to his feet and caught Rin up. But Kichiruka's expression was entirely sober. "I meant every word…and Lord Sesshomaru was…well, he didn't kill me for it."

Rin just rolled her eyes. Then thought, "Say, your cup was empty. How did you not drink the shinjitsu-go tea?"

Reaching into this collar, Kichiruka removed a pouch with a carefully lined interior that didn't leak. "Have to say, Sesshomaru's eyesight has gotten lazy. He relies so much on his nose and ears that his vision is only slightly better than average. Learned that while in his body." Kichiruka chuckled. "It makes little sleights like this one not so difficult to pull off."

"I still wouldn't pull that again," Inuyasha said, walking from around the corner of the hut.

Kichiruka glowered. "You didn't have to hit me that hard."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Wanted to be convincing…And I couldn't let you say all _that_ about Rin without some retribution."

Rin gaped at Sesshomaru's brother. "You were in cahoots with…?"

"Hey, the shit about Sesshomaru _was_ pretty funny. And damn necessary."

And Sesshomaru called me childish. Then she sank to the ground and curled into a ball. "Go away. Both of you."

Neither did.

"So how did the interrogation go?" Fuzzy dog ears wiggled. "Saw he locked you in the room there."

Kichiruka chuckled. "Not that bad. He just wanted to be sure I meant everything I said." Kichiruka reached over and fluffed Rin's hair. She waved him off. "He kept pawing at that mass of fur on his shoulder. What _is_ that?"

Rin finally giggled. Only she was privy to this nervous tick. "What did you tell him?"

"More like what did he ask," Kichiruka said. Then drawing himself up to full height and brushing up into his best imitation act, recited, "How quickly does news travel in the ocean?"

Inuyasha guffawed.

Rin smiled. "He's adjusting to the idea."

Kichiruka made Rin giggle when he attempted to interpret it. "So this is Sesshomaru's way of saying it then?"

"What?"

"Bring it on."

.

_A/N: Phew! Long chapter thar! Thank you for reading. My gallery has some new sketches that I drew up upon readers' requests. Please remove spaces and click around between pages (because I'm a little too lazy to post every link): feral-instinct. deviantart. com/art/Just-for-Laughs-Sketch-310-245879067_

_I also have an additional announcement to make which is very important to the series' continuity. I will be out of the country for the rest of this month. I do plan on finishing Hooked (hopefully by the end of August), but please understand that updates may be irregular and I will be unable to take further sketch requests until I return. As always, I will reply to all reviews. Thank you for all your kind support! _


	58. Tea for Tuna

_A/N: "At home I was in a better place / But travelers must content themselves." - Touchstone from Shakespeare's _As You Like It_. Sorry for the slow update. Please enjoy. _**  
**

**Tea for Tuna**

Lazy yellow eyes tracked the young demon that flitted from one end of the room to the other. It was almost impossible to tell if he was even a physical yokai, he moved with such speed that Tensai had to take another slow sip from his cup. Tracking Kichiruka was tiresome. "Perhaps you should like a moment's pause?"

Kichiruka heard his teacher's suggestion, but he didn't stop moving. Maybe this was how sharks felt – sit still for too long and you die. Kichiruka sure felt as if he might. "We're supposed to meet with Lord Sesshomaru today! This afternoon! That's in less than two hours! Ichikawa's running late, I can't find my conch staff, and…and you're drinking!"

Tensai rolled his eyes. "I'm not drinking to get washed up, I'm drinking to savor. And damn, I have to deal with _you_ now. Sheesh. Hell, you look like you need this more than I do. Here, have a draught."

"Tensai, I'm serious!"

Kichiruka's teacher set his cup down. "Excuse me?"

The younger demon retracted. "Um, sorry, Master Tensai…"

Tensai eased back.

"But lookit, we've got to get going." Kichiruka resumed his frantic pacing. "Maybe we should leave right now. Would it be bad protocol to arrive without Ichikawa? Master, how can you just sit there? Do you have any idea how hard I've worked for this? See? See these scars? Dammit, just lo—"

In one sweeping motion, Tensai grabbed Kichiruka by the shoulders and gave him a shake solid enough to rattle the teeth in his head. "Boy, _shut up!"_

Kichiruka froze.

Tensai loosened his grip, but only dropped Kichiruka once he was positively sure the little worry wart would stay put. "You will sit here. Remain quiet. Keep calm. And we'll depart shortly. Understood?"

Kichiruka nodded.

Tensai sighed. He wasn't in the mood to be stern with his student today, but someone had to be the lead right now. Closing his eyes, Tensai smoothed back the blue sail on his head. _Twenty, nineteen…_"Just calm down."

"Are you telling me you're not nervous?" Kichiruka tried catching his instructor's eye.

Tensai averted his gaze, but only said, "Not in the least."

As if on cue, a bloodcurdling shriek from outside made both yokai jump. Tensai forgot he had set the study's entrance security a few levels higher. Unfortunately, it didn't stop Ichikawa. The manta ray and his attendants glided in easily…save for one guard who had to be hauled along by his companion.

"My, my, Tensai – does your barrier need to be _that_ effective?" the daiyokai said in his usual singsong, brushing invisible lint from his wings.

"Oh, I don't think it's nearly as effective as I would like," Tensai drawled. _You still got in._

Before Tensai and Ichikawa started their old-married-couple routine, Kichiruka spoke up. "Lord Ichikawa, how do those clothes look different from what you always wear?"

Ichikawa didn't miss a beat. "Finer silk, see?" He turned so the lighting caught at just the right angle to give a perfect sheen. A small tag that read "made in Mikan" poked out of one sleeve. Ichikawa tucked it back in, commenting, "Locally produced, too."

Kichiruka clunked his head against the nearest stone wall. "Sesshomaru won't stand for any of this…"

Even from his spot near the cavern's mouth, Ichikawa's chuckle carried across the room. "Why don't you let me worry about that, hmm?"

Kichiruka wrung his hands. "Okay, but can we go now?"

In an instant Ichikawa was beside his subordinate, towering over and looking down. "Watch yourself, Kichiruka," he warned with a gentle menace, his voice dropping to deeper, lower registers. "You forget your station. I can call everything off and we'll just leave it at that." He held Kichiruka's gaze a moment longer, then turned around to Tensai, the easy smile returning. "Shall we?"

Tensai flicked his eyes toward his lordship's lackeys. "What of them?"

"I suppose they can wait," Ichikawa said dismissively.

"Not here," Tensai snapped.

"Can we puh-lease just go?"

Tensai threw Kichiruka a look. "Not with those two in my—"

"Why, yes," said Ichikawa.

That was all the permission necessary. A bubble of Kichiruka's yoki engulfed all three demons at once. In the next eyeblink, their surroundings swirled from the stone interior of Tensai's study to the cool, brown silt of a brook. Kichiruka sighed happily at the feel of the familiar setting. He then gently touched the gills on Ichikawa's neck and whispered an incantation for adaptable breathing. The next moment, Ichikawa broke through the brook's surface. And hacked, clutching his sides as his gills underneath heaved.

"Master Tensai, what should we do?"

Tensai, who had already performed his own breathing adjustment with the switch to his more human form, folded his arms and watched. "Give him another minute. I want to see him turn blue."

_Real mature, sir._ Wrapping his arms around his principal, Kichiruka dragged Ichikawa backward and under into the shallow brook. It was just deep enough for someone of the daiyokai's tall stature to curl in and catch his breath.

"Kichi...iruka…" Ichikawa waited until he could compose himself. He didn't quite care for the smugness of Tensai's expression. "Kichiruka," Ichikawa pronounced, clearing his throat. "My primary gills are on my torso." Spreading his wings away from his body, Ichikawa smiled at Kichiruka in a way most people anticipated a meal. "Well, go ahead…"

Kichiruka hesitated. "With all due respect Lord Ichikawa, this is seriously breeching the creeper level."

Tensai grumbled. _Why_ _do I always have to be the grown-up? _"Oh, damn it all, we're wasting time." Roughly, he shoved his hands into the manta ray's shirt.

Ichikawa grinned. "Oh ho! My dear Tensai, I knew you've always wanted—"

"Save it."

"Already lost it. Quite a long time ago, too."

"Oh, hey! I actually get what he means by that now!" Kichiruka brayed.

Tensai bit back an obscenity in favor just getting the task over with. Several minutes later, after more finagling over who got to step out of the brook first and Ichikawa sliding backwards to crashing everyone else again, all three water yokai were on their way.

"Wait!"

Almost.

Ichikawa raised one heavy black wing and shook it out until it became a billowing, dark sleeve. Long, pale fingers flexed. Ichikawa had forgotten he had such a fine bone structure. He should have done this more often. "Mmm…haven't had these in a while." He wiggled his thumbs. "Oo, opposable digits!"

Kichiruka smiled. "Do you know how to snap your fingers?" He demonstrated and the greater demon laughed, enthusiastically trying out the exercise. Tensai sank to the side of the bank, massaging his temples. _I'm surrounded by idiots._

"Now how do we get over there?"

"Well…" Kichiruka scratched the back his neck. Walking was a very modest means, one that really wasn't fit for a yokai lord. Much less someone like Ichikawa who relished luxury.

"Ah, I suppose we could walk."

The suggestion surprised Kichiruka. No glamour or extravagance? Would Sesshomaru look down on that? Would he fail to see any potential for Ichikawa as an ally if they reverted to such a primitive form of transportation?

The manta ray slowly began to move. Knees quaking. "Kichiruka, kindly show me how you do this."

"Walking, my lord?"

"Yes."

By the time they reached the bottom of the hill, Ichikawa trip-trotted merrily along. And as he forgot any potential humiliation, annoyance prickled along Kichiruka's back. It had taken him several weeks to adapt his body to what Ichikawa was doing in as many minutes. Greater yokai really were irritating.

As they drew closer to Rin's village, Kichiruka watched Ichikawa carefully begin to reconstruct himself. Although he still dawdled to admire flowers and birds along the roadside plus one stray lizard in their path, Ichikawa's face gradually took on its typical mask. His features smoothed and his signature smirk tucked itself back into a corner of his mouth. Ichikawa's eyes were still their otherworldly ocean color, but they no longer shone like they were in on some private joke, now favoring the mirthless lacquer of limestone. He paused to smooth back his hair. Not a thing out of place.

For Ichikawa anyway. Nearly every human in the fields stopped what they were doing to watch the daiyokai dally through their fields with his two attendants. They all recognized Kichiruka and a couple remembered Tensai from the week before, but at the sight of the strange greater demon more began to mumble uneasily.

"I told you they meant to take our town."

"Two daiyokai here in one day – the results could destroy us all."

"Didn't I say nothing good would come from the girl and her demon kin?"

A tic jumped under Tensai's eye. Maybe Kichiruka didn't catch that last comment – he seemed too preoccupied keeping Ichikawa from wading into the rice fields – but Tensai wanted to beat the speaker to a pulp. Hell, he wanted to tell every last one of them off, but that wouldn't have helped their situation, now would it? Ichikawa continued walking further into the little village. Either oblivious or just apathetic to the murmurs and stares.

"Lord Ichikawa," Tensai grumbled. "How much farther do you intend to go in—"

Ichikawa came to a dead halt at the sight of a familiar face.

"Why if it isn't Rin!"

"Hello yourself, Lord Ichikawa." Rin liked to think she had had her share of surreal experiences even for such a short life – Kichiruka's conversation with Sesshomaru so far topping the list – but now with the foppish Lord of Mikan at her doorstep. _Well, that just beats last week_. Maybe she could play it cool. _Is he really planning to meet with Sesshomaru?_ She tried not to stare, but the sight of Ichikawa with hands looked a bit weird. Or maybe it wasn't even that. Just weird enough that he was walking around her village. And that he proceeded to unabashedly step into her hut and give himself a private tour around her home. "So this is the arrangement of a human dwelling…How drab," she could hear him remarking from inside. Kichiruka ran in after him. She leaned over to whisper to Tensai, "I feel vaguely violated."

"Good. That's the _usual_ air Ichikawa sends," he tartly replied. Then marched in to fish everyone out. "Excuse me."

Hearing the commotion – or maybe just getting a whiff of the heady sea salt – Inuyasha shuffled over, already thumbing Tetsusaiga's handguard. "Hey, kiddo, what's all the ruckus?"

Taking a page out of Sesshomaru's book, Rin opted for the laconic answer and pointed at the hut with her eyes. Right on time, Kichiruka fell first through the threshold, flopping his stomach, then wincing as his teacher followed, crashing on top. "My back!" Tensai's eyes flashed full yellow for a second. Lightly stepping over the pile, Ichikawa breezed out as if nothing at all had appertained to his study of human habitats. He immediately turned at the sensation of a new presence. He caught a glimpse of silver hair, but the manta ray's smile never quite bloomed.

"You must be Inuyasha," he said with a tone of recognition. Maybe if he was nice, Inuyasha would let him touch those fine, fuzzy ears.

The half-demon snorted. "Yeah, well, I don't know who the hell you are and if you're bothering Rin –"

"Ahahaha, not in the least!" Kichiruka wiggled between Inuyasha and Ichikawa. "This is Lord Ichikawa, I've told you about him, I'm sure." He gave Inuyasha a doleful look. _C'mon, help me out here!_

"This is the highfalutin guy who runs your sea? Damn, Sesshomaru's gonna have a field day with –"

Fortunately, Ichikawa had lost interest and fixed his attention to the skies. "I think we see our master of ceremonies now," he said with a smirk.

His entrance was an impressive display of raw power; Sesshomaru swept in over the ground on a cloud of his own yoki. He was followed by a magnificent twin-headed dragon, the beast was harnessed in the best finery to be had from a splendidly designed to saddle to its tasseled and embroidered muzzles. Ichikawa wondered if it had a name. It looked cute, too.

When he landed, Sesshomaru glanced once at Inuyasha. He was acknowledged. But the daiyokai took no pains to utter a greeting of any sort to the newest arrival. He only advanced forward in one assertive step. Almost like the way some men approached an intruder in their own home. He tilted his head to one side. _What do you want? _the gesture asked.

"It is pleasure and honor to meet the young Lord of the Western Territories." Ichikawa dipped his head in a simple show of respect. "Please be favorable to me."

Sesshomaru arched a brow, pointedly not returning the formality.

"Are we to hold a conference in this location?" Ichikawa gestured with his arm, black sleeve trailing. "I do like that it is quaint, but I am concerned how appropriate. You shall be welcomed as a guest in my –"

"Lord Sesshomaru did not plan to hold our discussion _here_," a little green imp that Ichikawa hadn't noticed quickly interjected. He was so small. _Travel-sized._ Ichikawa decided he could overlook him. And returned his attention to Sesshomaru.

Raising his arm, Sesshomaru beckoned for the dragon. "You two will remain here." He pointed at Rin and Kichiruka.

_Kichiruka is not yours to command, Lord Sesshomaru._ Ichikawa clenched his jaw, but let it pass. He could remember such a thing if the occasion ever arose. It may be favorable even in the immediate – for if Sesshomaru was already taking such a measure then perhaps a _liking_ was included.

"Get on Ah-Un."

_Or he could just be a pushy mongrel. _

"Are we taking flight?" Ichikawa canted his head.

"What's it look—"

Inuyasha kicked Jaken aside. Who said he wasn't going to _try_ to help out Kichiruka's side?

Sesshomaru nodded at the other demon. "Can you do without the steed?"

Ichikawa couldn't. Even as a daiyokai, his wings were confined only to the blue of the ocean. "I don't mind your thoughtful accommodation," he tactfully replied. No need to say he required it.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Then we're going." His aura began to gather at his feet again.

Ichikawa didn't miss that the imp clung to Sesshomaru's train of fur. "Since you are taking one retainer with you, then I feel so entitled."

The build up of yoki dispersed as Sesshomaru paused to glance at Tensai. He didn't want the swordfish interfering. "As you will. But all your words will be your own. No one else's."

Kichiruka gulped. Tensai bristled. And Ichikawa's smile made his eyes heavy-lidded and dreamy. _He doesn't want anyone coming to my rescue, hmm?_ "Thank you for the consideration."

oOo

Ichikawa enjoyed the rush of watching the ground fall away. Tensai kept his eyes closed for most of the period and just waited for the ride to be over. Water yokai were _not_ fond of dizzying heights.

"Look, Tensai, look! I can see our shore from here!"

And Ichikawa had several screws loose.

But the landing was smoother than Tensai expected. The clouds that curled around the dragon-steed's claws glossed any turbulence and it came to a gradual stop on what looked to be a finely tiled floor.

"Dismount," Sesshomaru drawled when they landed. Ichikawa slid off and Tensai somewhat staggered. Ah-Un shoved a muzzle under his hand in a courteous attempt to offer balance. An armored gatekeeper with a fox's face led Ah-Un away, presumably to some stable or shed. Tensai felt an odd compulsion to wave good-bye. It was a very polite dragon.

When he caught up, he found His Lordship and Sesshomaru already climbing a ridiculously high staircase. At the sight alone Tensai could feel his knees buckling anew. There were no less than ten dozen steps leading in one good vertical climb to the top. _Oh, hell no_. He was far too old for this.

Deciding to take a small liberty – _I won't mar any of the décor_ – Tensai took the compacted form of the narwhal's tusk from his side and released a quantity of water it stored. Chanting as he did so, Tensai froze over the water immediately into a small ice floe. He hopped aboard and tapped its side. "To the top," he commanded. He was there in a matter of seconds. Privately pleased with himself, Tensai gently tapped the tusk to the top of the ice block and its water content returned inside. With the extra time now on his hands, he could peruse the settings and perhaps get a better feel for…

"And what guest have I here?" a woman's voice purred. Tensai whirled around. On a porcelain dais lounged a…_female version of Sesshomaru?_ Under different circumstances, Tensai would have laughed, but there was nothing funny about this woman. _She's probably his mother_. The lady emanated a regal air with robes that matched her station. Just like her son, she had a voice that made Tensai's skin crawl. She sounded as bad as Ichikawa's siren. And, as they were out of Tensai's element, was probably twice as dangerous.

"Is my visitor a mute?" She definitely had Ichikawa's mocking tune perfected.

"I am Tensai, vassal to Lord Ichikawa of Mikan and Master of Arcane Arts," the swordfish announced his full title from where he stood. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Sesshomaru and his company were still several steps away from being close to finishing the stairway. _Damn, how slow can those two be?_

" 'Disaster,' huh? How interesting." She rose from her dais. "My son's name has 'Destruction' in it." She prowled closer and Tensai wondered how quickly he could conjure back the ice floe. "You may address me as the Lady of the Western Territories. We can move to informal terms from there."

Tensai backpedaled, but she was already close enough to close the distance in one sure stride that made her a silver blur. _She's treating me like prey._ Tensai tried to suppress the impulse to panic. He didn't want to give her any such satisfaction. But wasn't it said canines could smell such things? She was tall for a woman, too. Even though he was shod, she still matched Tensai's height. And she was, of course, daiyokai.

"Mother, what are you doing?" At the top of the stairs, Sesshomaru stood with his arms folded into his sleeves. Ichikawa still had another thirty steps to go.

"Oh come now, don't spoil my fun," she pouted. Then, like throwing a switch, her voice turned venomous with dark undertones. "Your father certainly got to have his share."

Sesshomaru sighed and rolled his eyes. "Mother…" he grumbled. When she had learned of her husband's extramarital family – a human and hanyo, no less – Mother had made it her personal mission to seduce the most unworthy men possible. Even after the Dog General had died, she continued to entertain this "hobby" as if to smite him in the afterlife. Sesshomaru occasionally wondered if it were merely her way of remembering Father. Mother always was a little…twisted.

Despite being a second-class demon, however, the swordfish seemed a bit above the low standard for Sesshomaru's mother. Sesshomaru didn't know why he thought so, but Tensai didn't seem like the type to be most "appropriate" mismatch.

A fine current trembled across the courtyard. The Lady of the West looked up in time. Ichikawa waved, then bowed in a courtly manner he had learned from one of the visiting yokai. At the strange and graceful gesture, the Western Lord's mother redirected her attention from his subject. _I always was prettier,_ Ichikawa congratulated himself. As if he hadn't a bone in his body, Ichikawa slid over to the fine demoness. "May I have your hand?" he asked. Carefully imitating the protocol of yokai from the Far West, Ichikawa took up the lady's hand and planted a butterfly kiss on the back of her wrist.

Tensai sighed in relief. At last Ichikawa had found a use for those uncouth and unhygienic mannerisms.

"Ichikawa Near Mikan, I presume?" The Lady of the Western fluttered magenta eyelashes at him.

Ichikawa modulated his hum to the affirmative.

She laughed. Then turned to her son. "So are you gentlemen going to work something out?"

Sesshomaru frowned. Why did Mother always have to trivialize his most trying situations? _"Are you off to seek your Father's inheritance?" "A tussle with you half-brother again?" "All this fuss for one mortal girl?" _He rolled his eyes.

"Because if so, I'll play with my new toy."

Tensai jumped when the unsolicited sensation of fur wrapped around his arm. "I beg your pardon, madam," he ground out. "But I am not some diversion brought along for the ride."

"Oh, but Sesshomaru," she said, ignoring Tensai altogether, "you brought me such an agreeable little fellow last time. Oh, there he is!"

Jaken nosedived back into his master's fur. A golden gaze followed him, then flicked back to the present matter. "They aren't 'toys' to be –"

"Are you already taken? Is that it?" she asked, now completely disregarding Sesshomaru. The demoness' brow knit in feigned concern for only a second before she continued, "Because I really don't care whose name you call, the pleasure will be mine." She smiled wide enough to flash fang. "I assure you."

Tensai knew he should have known better, but his aura still crackled at the fringes. Though he wasn't entirely sure what to say to get her to back off.

"Well, what's the problem?" she prodded.

"I…I already have a woman I love."

Ichikawa glanced over at Tensai, but said nothing. His horns quivered and he could see that the dog-demons were unconsciously licking their lips. Everyone was trying to taste-test for lies. _But it feels like truth_, Ichikawa's senses told him. _Unless Tensai just completely believes what he's saying._ Truth could be relative, too, Ichikawa knew that.

"How long have you known this woman?"

"Three hundred and thirty-six years," Tensai answered. He hadn't lost track.

To the Western Lady, the length came as some surprise. And relief. For a moment, Sesshomaru's mother had almost thought this woman was a mortal. How disappointing that would have been. "So, is she beautiful?"

"Very."

"Hn….Is she young?"

"Somewhat."

"Yes or no."

"Yes. Compared to me."

Sesshomaru's mother huffed. But she did retreat. She stuck her nose in the air and looked off. "Well, then she is not old enough to appreciate you. When that girl's head turns for someone else, you come see me, Master Tensai."

_Like that'll ever happen._ But, with a good-natured smile, Tensai laughed.

Ichikawa's head snapped around, his eyes wider than the arcs that graced the foreheads of mother and son. Tensai _laughed?_ In the two hundred and twenty years that Tensai had served him, Ichikawa could never remember a time when the swordfish laughed like that. _With something that had heart in it. _

Sesshomaru's mother gave a little tee-hee back. "Careful, now. You keep being that irresistible and I will have you confiscated for myself."

"Come along," Ichikawa called. "Sesshomaru and I are moving to a private quarters to discuss our options." He smiled at Tensai, but flicked his eyes toward Sesshomaru. "I'd like some sort of witness there should anything go wrong."

There was an annoyed huff up ahead, but Sesshomaru continued to lead the way.

With a flourish of his black robe that only left her growling a little bit in frustration, Tensai dismissed himself from the Western Lady's presence.

oOo

"Yes, ma'am, we're still here." Kichiruka nodded, shifting the mouthpiece of his conch staff over to the other shoulder. This was the second time Ichikawa's wife had called in the past hour. While Ichikawa might have been gone for the better part of the day it was hardly much for concern…right? That he hadn't fallen out of the sky in a screaming comet – like Kichiruka had, just out of Rin's house – was a good gauge, wasn't it?

"I would like to know where my husband is," Ichikawa's wife demanded.

Kichiruka shifted uneasily. "I don't know…"

_"What do you mean you don't know?"_

_Please don't use that tone with me._ Kichiruka closed his eyes and breathed slowly. "I don't even know where my own teacher is. Both he and Lord Ichikawa left with Lord Sesshomaru and…"

"You let him go unaccompanied with that monster? You know better than anyone else we've sent envoys before who have never returned. How dare you not accompany—oh!" There was a surprised squeak, then a sigh and a soft moan.

"What did he just waltz through the door?" Rin drawled from her place on the other side of the porch. She had made a point to not get too close to the conch when Ichikawa's woman called.

Ichikawa's throaty laughter filled the phone.

Kichiruka rolled his eyes. "Huzzah."

"Repeat it three times, dear friend…Everything's gone quite well. I'll see you when you return."

"Wait! Is Master Tensai okay?" But the line had already been disconnected from Ichikawa's end.

A warm wind swept through, but Sesshomaru had apparently been standing there for longer. "Your teacher is fine." He leered at the ground for a moment. "I like him better."

Kichiruka smiled. Then Sesshomaru refocused his glare on him. Kichiruka gulped.

"An addendum was added to the agreement." Sesshomaru looked at Rin, then back at the dolphin's communication device. "I get one of those."

.

_A/N: Sorry, this has been so slow. Finding Net where I am now is a bit out of the ways (when it's not ridiculously expensive) and I've been exceptionally busy with my studies abroad. Thank you for reading! Sketch request: feral-instinct. deviantart. com/#/d42e2g3 (remove spaces)_


	59. Beyond the Sea

_A/N: I like to think that if you wound the clock back by three hundred years on Tensai that he would sound like Bobby Darin. And am I the only one who thinks the opening lines to this song sound just a little wistful? _

**Beyond the Sea**

Pressing his hands to the taut skin, Kichiruka hesitated before plucking the tangerine. Not too many ripe ones out yet. Far too early in the season. Maybe when late summer rolled around, pickings would be better. "We'll have to come back here sometime soon."

Rin smiled. She swung her feet from the branch where Kichiruka had helped her. "I won't mind."

Kichiruka laughed. "I don't think you're alone on that." He nodded toward the coast. Although they were hardly visible from the tangerine groves, the figures of two yokai dotted Mikan's coast. One nearly pure silver, the other habited mostly in black.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Kichiruka asked.

"Considering that half the conversation will depend on Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said, "probably nothing at all." She giggled.

"For all we know it's a glorified staring contest." Kichiruka snickered. "My money's on Tensai."

Rin bounced a green tangerine off the water demon's head. "That's assuming Lord Sesshomaru's even playing."

oOo

Sesshomaru closed his eyes against the harsh sunlight. Part of him wished he could fold his ears against the thundering waves. And, somehow, sand had managed to get into his left boot. He didn't much like the beach. Too bright. Too balmy. Too salty. Too hard on the senses. Damn right an alliance with Mikan was sufficient dowry for Rin. Ichikawa wasn't going to get anything more out of the Western Lord.

There was a low, slow chuckle beside him. The only intelligent sound for miles. Sesshomaru pointed his chin in Tensai's direction. "Hm?"

Perched on a rock, because only Sesshomaru preferred to stand, the swordfish considered the waves off the shore. Sesshomaru, Tensai had observed, was a man of few grunts, so responses to him were to be selected with equal discretion.

"You really don't care for all this, I take it?" Tensai waved his arm to their sunny horizon. Blue sea and skies, and golden sands. _Not that it appears so to Sesshomaru. _

"Whether or not I care for something doesn't erase its existence." There was a very particular inflection about Sesshomaru's voice when he spoke.

Tensai glanced at the daiyokai, but his eyes remained fixed on the sea. "You come to tolerate it well."

"I still don't like it."

Tensai bit his tongue. And continued his pretense. "Indeed, the sea salt does get agitating."

Now Sesshomaru turned his head to glare at the swordfish. _Enough_. "What _is_ there for her?"

"What now? I was talking about the ocean." The amber leer intensified. And Tensai sighed, the gaunt planes of his face gone sober. "Nothing…But is it not confounding to attempt comprehension of that which we do not possess?"

"I can see. I need not own," Sesshomaru clipped.

"Then you must be blind to Rin's smiles when Kichiruka's near." Abruptly, Sesshomaru advanced a step with quick, predatory ease. Doing his utmost not to flinch, Tensai slid back just a bit on the rock where he sat. Then slipped his foot into a tide pool just in case. He knew he was treading on quaking ground where commentary on Rin was concerned. "Do you disapprove of Kichiruka?"

"Upon which beach do we stand, swordfish?" Sesshomaru huffed irritably.

Tensai suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "One could get the wrong impression." An idea took form in his head and Tensai spared only a moment to consider it. He didn't want Sesshomaru interjecting something else in the space between. "I had often wondered, Lord Sesshomaru, which you would prefer: the perfect match for Rin, or Kichiruka."

Sesshomaru arched a skeptical brow. "The answer is obvious."

Tensai smirked. "Indeed. Reasoning follows that nothing would be better than the perfect match for Rin. Certainly so?"

Sesshomaru remained silent, but tilted his head. He might have been agreeing.

"But many would confirm that getting someone like Kichiruka is better than nothing." Yellow eyes glinted playfully. "And if nothing is superior to the perfect match, then I'd vouch that Kichiruka is better than even that."

Sesshomaru snorted, but it had an amused lilt. "Better than nothing, huh?"

A faint smile brought out the creases around Tensai's eyes. "It took me a while to realize it myself."

There was no comment as Sesshomaru faced forward to stare off at the seascape. "Then, wanted or unwanted, he is _mine_ now."

Involuntarily, Tensai felt his features tighten. "Yours?" The water demon didn't know why he felt so offended, but that was a lot to presume. Kichiruka never belonged to anyone. Least of all Sesshomaru.

If he noticed this ripple in the swordfish's yoki, Sesshomaru's monotone gave no inclination. But he did elaborate somewhat. "So long as he does not outlive his usefulness."

"You claim Kichiruka in the utilitarian sense," Tensai confirmed.

"There is no other perspective." The daiyokai angled his head so he seemed to look down on his company, but it was a pompous look that Tensai welcomed. Sesshomaru turned his gaze back toward the sea.

Tensai shifted slightly. He fiddled with pleats in his hakama, anxiously smoothing and resetting them. "And, Lord Sesshomaru, you mind well what is yours." Tensai spoke with conviction. Enough that drew amber eyes up.

Sesshomaru studied Tensai's face. In a human guise the expressions seemed somehow easier to read. It wasn't one Sesshomaru cared for. All the concern and worry in plain sight, it looked so raw and bare. The first thing Sesshomaru had noticed – if not quite admired – about the swordfish was his uncompromised guard. _How comes this desperation for assurance?_ Then he remembered Tensai's reaction when Kichiruka had taken Rin's fever into himself. There was nothing guarded or cloaked then. So Sesshomaru nodded.

Visibly, Tensai relaxed. He leaned back on his palms, and continued to speak out to the horizon. "What is his use then?"

"None to me. But I can _see_ he makes Rin smile." His voice was laced with only a touch of arrogance. "And should he ever dare die before then…" Sesshomaru clicked his claws over his sword's hilt in a way that was meant to look threatening, but the talons danced over Tenseiga. Tensai chuckled at the gesture. Sesshomaru offered one of his ghost smiles in return. "I make no idle promises."

_Oh, Kichiruka, he does have a sense of humor. May you live to see it._ Tensai nodded, trying to be serious.

Sesshomaru returned the movement in perfect grace and dignity. He would look forward to future discussions with this unexpected friend.

"The salt is not the whole of the sea," he decided aloud.

oOo

A couple days after speaking with Sesshomaru, Tensai stopped by Rin's village. He paused at the doorway to her home. He had hoped Rin would be out at this time, and smothered a curse when a cheery, "Would you like to come in?" chirped from inside.

Tensai fidgeted awkwardly. _Damn, make my job more difficult_. Obligingly, he shuffled in. Why did he feel like a child caught in the pantry? He was here to give, not take. "I…I can't stay," he snapped. Then felt worse for it. "I'm sorry. I've only come to drop this off." He presented the small box in his hands. "I'd rather you not open it until later." He laughed softly, sadly. "My sincerest apologies, but I won't be able to attend the wedding. Much too sentimental for such things. Referring to myself, that is. Something like water and oil. Weddings and me." Vaguely aware that he rambled, Tensai collected himself and smartly moved aside. "Goodbye, Miss Rin. Please take care." He shoved the box into Rin's hands and quickly made for the exit.

Flustered by the abruptness of his visit, Rin could only call after him, "I will, sir."

Tensai was almost halfway out, but he tarried and looked over his shoulder. _Oh, dammit all._ With stiff, purposeful strides, he crossed back into the room. Back to Rin. Then gently kissed the side of her head. Although the motion was delicate, it knocked Rin off balance. But Kichiruka's teacher made no fuss over steadying her. Tensai took a moment to pat the top of Rin's bangs and smile. Her eyes were the softest shade of brown and they seemed to see right into him. Not as a yokai, but as a person. "I mean it, young lady. Take care." Then, like a river pacing to stay on course, he rushed out of the room, leaving a slightly stunned Rin in his wake.

_Master Tensai…_ He was always a gentleman. _Well, always to me_. The same couldn't quite be said for Kichiruka who often had to bear the brunt of his teacher's short-fused temper. But even his courtesy couldn't conceal the urgency and – Rin wasn't sure – sadness in his actions. That goodbye sounded terribly final.

Her curiosity and concern winning out, Rin popped open the lid to the box. The half of the sapphire Tensai had borrowed was whole again! The entire gemstone shone brighter than before. Almost like it had an inner light, a life of its own. _…Oh._ Rin scanned over a note that was left folded beside it. She stopped reading halfway and immediately tugged on her earrings.

"Kichiruka," she said when he answered. "Go find your teacher _right now_."

oOo

Tensai coughed into his fist. It was getting increasingly difficult to breathe on the terrestrial plain. Or maybe just difficult period. If only he could make it to the brook he might find some relief instead of spluttering like a dying candle. Or a consumptive.

_How ironic, isn't it, love?_

He stumbled, but kept trekking. If he had managed to put the hillock behind him, then this last stretch to the brook shouldn't be so bad. He heard someone call out to him. And Tensai felt his knees go. He was still too far to crawl into the water. _I'm sorry._ He had hoped to slip away without leaving any bad memories.

"Master Tensai!" Kichiruka scooped up his fallen instructor. "Sir…?"

Tensai smiled, looking away from his pupil. "Should've known that girl wouldn't have been able to keep a secret."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kichiruka demanded.

"Because you would have made a fuss…" The "just as you are doing now" didn't quite make it out of Tensai's throat.

Kichiruka gritted his teeth. Frustration made his eyes mist over. "I…I told you was going to finish my life when Rin does hers."

"And will you leave behind orphans? Kichiruka, I want you to have the freedom to extend your life. I've had enough years…"

"But they aren't mine to take!"

"Well, that's besides the point, eh?" Tensai smirked. Maybe it wasn't so bad, not dying alone. Even if he couldn't raise his voice against the foolish boy anymore, he could still smile at him. Kichiruka had taught him that much. "Kichiruka…such a face…I'd never thought I'd see the day you'd…"

Tears splattered on the lapels of Tensai's robe. "Please, master…"

"What happened to laughing?" he chuckled.

"Master, don't mock me. Not now," Kichiruka choked.

Tensai tried raising a hand to dab at the boy's eyes, but his strength for that was sapped. Instead, the flat end of the swordfish's nose brushed over spotted cheeks. He inhaled slowly. "May your children have their mother's eyes." Tensai's last breath rattled softly and Kichiruka leaned close for any final words.

"Wakanae." He smiled as if seeing someone. Kichiruka turned to glance over his shoulder to check if anybody was standing there. When he looked back at Tensai his yellow eyes had already dulled and stared off blankly.

A cold shiver raced down Kichiruka's spine. The scene didn't make any sense. Tensai…Tensai wasn't supposed to die. _I'm the one who's not supposed to outlive the century, not you!_ Kichiruka shuddered. A sob caught in his throat.

"Kichiruka!" Rin dashed up. She got a hold of Sesshomaru right after alerting Kichiruka. "Maybe Lord Sesshomaru can use Tenseiga. It could rebind his soul to his body and…" She looked at Tensai. He had just been alive less than an hour ago. There was a bluish tinge to the flesh color of his skin as the human disguise slowly wore off. Rin squeezed her eyes shut, trying to preserve her previous memory of the swordfish.

Sesshomaru appeared over the hilltop.

"Can you revive him?" Kichiruka didn't abandon his place beside Tensai. But the daiyokai didn't reply either. "Please! Please, Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Step back, Kich'." Rin gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Kichiruka gingerly set his instructor down on the grass. At his own stately pace, Sesshomaru drew Tenseiga. The sword pulsed and as everyone living faded from sight, he searched for the pallbearers from the afterlife. A faint cerulean gleam trailed from the old demon's chest then faded.

Kichiruka blinked when the dog-demon sheathed his blade. "Well?"

"He's dead." Sesshomaru said it as though it were obvious and a waste of time to linger any more.

"I thought you could revive him." Kichiruka's voice cracked.

Sesshomaru didn't even blink. "Not without a soul."

Kichiruka faltered. Was Tensai right? _We don't have souls?_

"Your teacher's soul is already departed," Sesshomaru spoke in a tone reserved for markedly slow children. "He had no further attachments to this world."

"You're certain?"

Sesshomaru glared at Kichiruka.

"He's sure," Rin said. It had been the same for Kaede.

Sesshomaru knelt by the body. He passed a hand over Tensai's face, closing his eyes for one final time. His flat tone saved the gesture from being reverent. "Are water demons cremated?"

"We are returned to our element." Kichiruka glanced at the brook over his shoulder. Sesshomaru made no motion to help. Which was just as well. Gathering Tensai's corpse in his arms, Kichiruka placed him in the little river. Upon submersion, the body and everything else dissolved into the water, reclaimed by the parent element of their demonic line. Everything but Tensai's masters robe and the small, ensorcelled narwhal's tusk he kept. They came from completely different means and Kichiruka fished them out. He folded the robe and tucked the tusk away. Then, without a backward glance to the brook, let Rin guide him home.

oOo

There were no farewells or best wishes or even last testaments written. The note that had accompanied the sapphire was rigidly clinical. Anything Kichiruka found of interest that was formerly Tensai's was his to put his hand to. Beyond that the slip detailed only where to go and whom to seek for a Master of Arcane Arts exam "if you so chose." It was definitely Tensai's hasty, barely-legible scrawl. But he signed it Tennosuke.

_A given name_, Kichiruka realized. He remembered that when he had first met Tensai he had joked about who would ever be unfortunate to bear the name "disaster." Tensai confirmed that he had chosen it.

Kichiruka looked at the sapphire in the box. It winked brightly in the sunshine. The energy of water yokai was transferable, a reflection of their element, but one demon to another? Kichiruka had never wanted to fathom it, and yet the proof sat before him. _Did he do this because…? _Fresh guilt knifed through Kichiruka. _Master, I never meant…I'm not worth it._

A light touch on his shoulder turned Kichiruka round to face Rin. She traced a finger over the sapphire in the box.

"He asked me for this on the day you took the fever from me. I'm sorry." She blinked furiously, trying to keep her voice from squeaking. "I didn't think there was any particular property behind the rock. I just…"

Kichiruka smirked. "He planned it, then….the jerk."

Rin sniffled. "I'm sorry I'm such a wuss! I should be the one comforting _you_. You lost…Oh, God…" Rin bit her lip. She wasn't about to cry. Not in front of Kichiruka. She scrubbed at her eyes.

"Hey, hey. No attachments, so it was no regrets, remember?" Kichiruka gently kissed her where Tensai had just earlier that afternoon. "Just…is it okay if I stay the night here? I don't want to go home alone."

Rin hugged him tightly. "Mmm-hm," was all she could manage. It sort of hurt when she swallowed, but she scraped together a clear, "Stay as long as you like."

"Thanks." Kichiruka exhaled heavily. "Ichikawa's probably going to be bawling harder than anyone else."

Rin laughed sorely.

Kichiruka squeezed her a little closer, rubbing his cheek over her head. "Yeah, Tensai was one of his gold finds. Hard to come by someone that talented again." Kichiruka's eyes bugged out. "Aw crap, that means I'm going to have to fill that slot. Dammit, master!"

Laughing a little bit more, Rin let Kichiruka dab at the tears on her cheeks. _He's covering up._ Maybe they could go visit Kagome or someone who was good at dealing with these sort of emotional things.

A warm wind rushed into the room. Kichiruka smoothed his hand down Rin's hair before slowly stepping back.

"Rin, stay here." Amber eyes swept to where Kichiruka stood. "Come."

oOo

The sunset's orange glow that filtered through the canopy of leaves dappled Kichiruka in even more spots than he already had. The daiyokai before him paid no mind to the play of shadows on his back. Sesshomaru walked ahead and, as ordered, Kichiruka followed. He knew only by the scar on the tree they had passed earlier that they were somewhere in Inuyasha's Forest. Other than that, Kichiruka had no idea where in all the worlds they were wandering. Or even if Sesshomaru knew where they were going besides _forward_.

"So," Sesshomaru said at length, coming to a stop by a stream, "your beloved teacher isn't here to protect you anymore." As if transferring the lightness of his tone to his feet, the dog-demon easily skipped over the creek.

Kichiruka, however, stayed put. His aura flared at the remark. Tensai's body wasn't even cold yet and Sesshomaru dared to…! But a horrible, twisting sensation knotted his guts. Fear. Fear because Sesshomaru was right. Who would pick up the pieces now? In the fading light, the dog-demon's eyes burned like bright, frightful torches. Kichiruka could feel his palms start to sweat.

"But," Sesshomaru continued, "you don't belong to 'no one' anymore either."

Kichiruka bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hazard the guess. "I'm Rin's?"

Sesshomaru frowned. "You belong to me." Then, without bidding his latest acquisition to follow – the expectation to do so was clear – Sesshomaru resumed his walk into the forest. The trees and foliage quickly enshrouding the path behind him.

With a gusty sigh, Kichiruka crow-hopped over the stream. _I'm…Sesshomaru's?_ Kichiruka's pointed ears flexed. For once, he wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that.

"Your requirement is simple," the daiyokai continued to explain when Kichiruka caught up.

_Great, he's already issuing orders._

"Don't make Rin cry."

Kichiruka blinked. And stayed quiet, waiting to hear something else heaped on top of that. When Sesshomaru remained silent after a breadth of several minutes, he had to wonder, "Uh…Okay?" This was very confusing. "So…you put me through hell just to be sure I won't make her cry?" Heck, if anyone had squeezed more tears out of the poor girl these past few months it wasn't himself, Kichiruka knew.

"There is more hell ahead of you." Sesshomaru stared off into the deep of the woods as if he could already envision some of it. He stroked the fur over his shoulder, smoothing it down. "But none of it will come from me."

Kichiruka broke into a grin. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru hummed. "You should thank your instructor. I am persuaded you may yet be better than nothing."

Kichiruka laughed halfheartedly at the mixed compliment. Or maybe it was just an insult? _Wait a sec, did Tensai call me better than nothing?_ Kichiruka rolled his eyes skyward. Then dashed up in front of Sesshomaru. "I promise to protect Rin's smile." He gave a curt bow with only a little jest behind it. Sesshomaru sidestepped him like a bump in the road. Kichiruka didn't care. He called out, "I should forewarn you, however."

Sesshomaru paused to turn and give Kichiruka a bored look. _Warn me?_

"As processes therein of making Rin smile may result in the production of more silver-haired half-demons in your immediate fam—_yipe!"_

Sesshomaru ground Kichiruka's head into the earth for another good minute or two. Mostly because he deserved it. Secondly, it was most undignified for anyone to catch the Lord of the West smiling like a court fool.

.

_A/N: One more chapter to go. A (new!) bonus about Tensai and other events occurring beforehand may be found here: fanfiction. net/s/6913863/3/Catch_and_Release Thank you for reading._


	60. Fin

_A/N: And now for the last of my horrible puns..._**  
**

**Fin**

Sesshomaru watched as lanterns were crafted and garlands strung in anticipation of coming festivities. Rin's wedding had already passed a couple of months ago. Sesshomaru had been one of only a handful to attend. It wasn't as if he had neglected to warn her. But Rin shrugged off the small turnout – "Like there are _so many_ people that live here anyway," she remarked. Sesshomaru's rebuttal was only a careless shrug.

Sesshomaru harrumphed. This coming ceremony he observed was more important anyway. In three days the Obon Festival would commence. Sesshomaru cared nothing for human celebrations. But he knew someone who did. And she wasn't here to commemorate her eighteenth year. The tenth summer since Sesshomaru had met her.

The dog-demon paced on the hillock that overlooked Rin's village. It was late morning. Rin was always here early. _But she doesn't live in this village anymore,_ Sesshomaru reminded himself. The distance traveled might be greater. _Then she would have been here by midmorning._ She probably wasn't coming. But she could just be late. Sesshomaru would never say that he didn't know where Rin was at any given moment. She need only call – either by the sword he'd given her or the seashell Kichiruka had crafted – and he'd be there in a heartbeat. As a dog-demon, Sesshomaru could easily track down anyone if he so desired.

He reached under his collar and studied the smooth, white conical shell that fit right between his thumb and forefinger. He could get in contact with Rin right away if he wanted. But Sesshomaru hadn't used the device beyond its trial run, and he didn't feel like pestering.

Sesshomaru's ego saved him from actually believing that Rin had forgotten about him. But just because he didn't believe it did not exclude doubt from creeping into his mind. His nose shifted through the wind, not for the first time that morning. _Where are you?_

His ears pricked up at the sound of rustling grass, his nose searching for an accompanying scent.

"Sorry I'm late!" Rin waved. She bounded up just in time to see Sesshomaru spin around and catch the unguarded expression. He looked a little worried. "How is everything?"

"Same as always." He added, "And you?"

"It goes well." She beamed up at Sesshomaru.

Even though the Obon wouldn't be for a couple days more, she already wore her brightest yukata. Sesshomaru wasn't sure how he could have missed her. Even the slightly briny smell didn't keep her from being identified as Rin.

"Kich' says hi."

"Kichiruka is not here?"

"He's catching up with Inuyasha." Sesshomaru scowled somewhat and Rin smiled. She gave his hand a little squeeze. "Kich' knows that this is one of those special times between you and me."

"Huh." Rin's grin shone with its usual sparkle. And Sesshomaru was assured he wasn't bereft of anything. "I had intended something for you both." Reaching into his sleeve, Sesshomaru retrieved a fan. It wasn't the simple, flat fans he had always presented to Rin every year. This one had a lacquered frame and a bright red tassel. In one sharp motion, he snapped his wrist and sprang the fan open. On one side was the commissioned design – cascading waves and dolphins bobbing it the surf. He passed it to Rin, who gratefully received it with both hands.

"Turn it over," he said.

Rin's smile sprouted a couple molars more. On the opposite side, in Sesshomaru's flourished script that flared at the fringes the fan read simply: _Best Wishes_.

**The End**

_Author's Closing Note: Warning - this is long. _Hooked_ was inspired by the same idea that begins this whole story: Because I don't necessarily believe Rin will marry Kohaku. Don't get me wrong, the two are cute together, but I can't help but wonder, "What if Rin fell for another guy in town?" Doubtless, he'd have to measure up to Sesshomaru's standards: strong, intelligent, of decent status, and protective. Kohaku fits the bill, but what if his girl isn't Rin? (I was also considering, "What if he were gay?", but the plotline got pretty complicated after that and I wanted to focus more on Rin. And Sesshomaru had enough headtrips to go through.) After all, Kohaku does take off at the end of the story, so it's anyone's guess if he comes back with another woman or is wow'd by a more mature Rin upon return. We don't know. We do know that Sesshomaru's tolerance, while it has grown some, is still rather thin in terms of hybrids. So, what if Rin fell in love with a demon? And maybe one who isn't quite what the Western Lord expects: goofy, forgetful, semi-weak, and of questionable status. It's fanfic fodder all the way._

_The whole story itself goes against expectations. Besides that Kohaku doesn't marry Rin, Rin herself doesn't grow into the tall, leggy babe we see in (still very lovely) fanart; nor is Kichiruka the most handsome (or even most coordinated) demon. But that's all right. It matters little when you're hooked._

_As for the fish themes…I'm really not too sure how that got thrown in the mix other than I figured this story would be told during my summer break and I wanted an appropriate motif for the bulk of it (I went fishing once when I was six and was bored to death half the time – Biggie didn't last long outside the water, either). So maybe that's also how Kichiruka wound up being a water demon._

_I didn't realize it at first, but at a second glance I think that Kichiruka was probably inspired by a fuzzy, stuffed dolphin I got from Goodwill when I was three. He's been restitched about four times over now, but his pretty blue eyes get me every time. Willie (the stuffed animal) isn't spotted, though. I chose a spotted dolphin for Kichiruka's subspecies mostly because I think spots are a little more funny-looking than the pretty stripes and swirls we see on other demons in the series. And, considering Kohaku, Rin probably has a thing for freckles._

_The original characters featured in _Hooked_ aren't necessarily based on any one person I know. Mostly, I ran with pieces of personalities and warped shaped them as the situations in the story developed. I'm delighted that you enjoyed them all (or at least got to stick your tongue at at the ones you didn't!). I may post a couple more comics just for the heck of it on my Deviant Art profile for the next month. ...Because we all love Ichikawa. _:)_  
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_I had a lot of fun writing this story over the past year and a half. Whether you've followed this story since Day 1 or just dropped in and got hooked, I thank you for coming aboard, giving your encouragement, sharing your sentiments, letting me know how you liked the story. Thank you for your time and kind consideration._

~ Silent Scribe


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